Rhizodiscina lignyota  

Anamorph: not known.
Teleomorph: ascomata apothecia, 0.3-1 (-1.3) mm diam, 0.2-0.25 mm tall, arising singly or in groups, at first closed and subglobose, opening in the early stages of development to expose a flat black disc, sessile, superficial, the outline circular, margin not or slightly raised above the disc and sometimes crenulate, with anchoring hyphae towards the base, the hyphae septate, 2.5-4 µm diam., smooth-walled, brown, penetrating the substrate. Exciple 35-60 µm thick at the sides and 100-125 µm tall at the base, composed of angular thick-walled brown cells 7-12 µm diam, wider outside and smaller towards the hymenium; the outer cell layer composed of cells more or less oriented vertically and elongated to 12 x 6 µm, with strongly agglutinated and dark brown external ends and in cross-section visible as a compact dark brown crust. Hypothecium yellowish, consisting of thin-walled isodiametric cells, 5-20 µm diam. Hymenium yellowish or yellowish green, 40-50 (-60) µm tall; hymenial gel surrounding the upper parts of the asci staining blue in iodine. Interascal tissue of cellular pseudoparaphyses, branched and anastomosed, 1.5-2.5 µm thick, the tips rounded, not or slightly enlarged to 3-3.5 µm diam, mostly exceeding the asci and forming a yellowish brown epithecium. Asci (35-) 40-50 (-55) x 8-12 µm, clavate, with a distinct stipe, apparently fissitunicate, with an ocular chamber in the apical dome, contents dextrinoid in iodine, 8-spored. Ascospores irregularly bi- or tri-seriate, (9-) 10-12.5 (-14) x (3.5-) 4-5 µm, rather variable in shape but mostly obovoid, with rounded or slightly taperIng ends, brown, 1-septate and sometimes slightly constricted at the septum which may be thickended, the upper cell usually broader, smooth, without an epispore, gelatinous sheath or appendages.