Stegonsporium galeatum
Anamorph: conidia (36–)40–48.5(–53) x (16–)18–21.5(–23) µm, medium to dark brown, pyriform, ovoid to ellipsoidal, with 3–5(–6) transverse distosepta and 1 longitudinal or oblique distoseptum in 1–3 cells, multiguttulate, surrounded by a hyaline sheath 1–4 µm thick, widest at the base.
Teleomorph: Stromata 0.8–2.4 mm diam., composed of hyphal tissue with cells 2–6(–7) µm diam. Ascomata perithecia, (300–)400–700(–950) µm diam. and (160–)200–300(–350) µm high, oblate, in circular groups of 3–15(–30 in confluent stromata). Ostioles cylindrical, 120–150(–200) µm diam. at the apex, emergent from the sides of ascomata and pointing to the centre of the stroma, convergent and merging with the inconspicuous ectostromatic disc. Paraphyses long, hyaline, 3–9 mm diam., collapsing, deliquescent. Asci (155–)170–240(–275) x (42–)47–60(–67) µm, broadly clavate to ellipsoidal, the apical canal often widened towards the base, 8-spored. Ascospores arranged obliquely uniseriately or biseriately, (36–) 44–56 (–65) x (13.5–)15–19(–22) µm, dark olivaceous brown, cylindrical, with (3–)5(–8) transverse distosepta, straight or slightly curved, cells multiguttulate in viable ascospores, with a hyaline gelatinous sheath bursting immediately in water mounts with a single equatorial fissure to form two polar gelatinous appendages that are bell-shaped to pyriform, (8–)9–15(–18.5) µm in length and (15–)17–23 (–26) µm diam., often transversely striate.
In GB&I, apparently introduced, and known only from an exotic tree species in a botanic garden. It does occur on our native A. pseudoplatanus in Austria, and has the potential to spread further.
The species is distinguished by its unique ascospore appendages, and by ascospore septation which is almost never longitudinal.
In GB&I, only reported from dead attached branches of Acer heldreichii.
Reported from VC78 Peeblesshire.
Presumably a weak pathogen causing death and dieback of branches, but few data are available.