Cucurbitaria dulcamarae  

Anamorph: ?= Diplodia dulcamarae Fuckel fide Mirza (1968).

Teleomorph: Stroma rather poorly developed, formed on a loose web of dark brown hyphae occupying the space between epidermal layer and the wood. Ascomata 250-400 µm diam, spherical to turbinate, short-stalked, the basal region usually distinctly constricted, often flattened at the apex with a sunken ostiole, matt black, very finely verrucose, mostly erumpent individually or in small groups through the epidermis, surrounded by a weft of dark brown thick-walled hyphae at the base. Peridium composed of an outer layer of thick-walled dark brown textura angularis with cells to ca 12 µm diam, merging into an inner layer with similarly shaped rather thick-walled glassy hyaline cells, the locule surrounded by flattened hyaline cells, the ostiole periphysate. Interascal tissue of copious septate pseudoparaphyses 2-2.5 µm diam. Asci 155-180 x 11-12 µm, cylindrical, relatively long-stalked (to ca 30 µm), thick-walled and fissitunicate, the apex rounded to truncate with a distinct invagination in the inner wall apex, 4- or 8-spored. Ascospores 18.5-23(-25) x 8-10 µm, cylindric-ellipsoidal, radially symmetrical, the ends obtuse to rounded, slightly constricted at the primary septum, usually with the halves ± similarly shaped, golden brown, mucous sheath absent, with 2-3 secondary transverse septa and a single longitudinal septum which often does not extend the length of the spore.

This species is distinctive for its peridial structure with the outer layer composed of angular rather than ± globose cells, and the ascospores which are golden brown with fewer septa than most species of Cucurbitaria. Further research may place it in a different genus.