Octosporella jungermanniarum
Anamorph: not known.
Teleomorph: ascomata appearing perithecial (250 -) 300-450 (- 560) x 200-400 pm, ovoid to almost cylindrical, rounded at the base and at the apex, pale yellow to orange, setose, the aperture small and inconspicuous. Setae to 200 (- 500) µm long, 9-15 µm diam. at the base and tapering to 4-7 µm at the apex, hyaline, straight and rigid, sometimes bent or contorted, rarely branched, thick-walled, with narrow septa. Peridium composed of fairly thick-walled cells 10-25 (- 40) µm in size. Interascal tissue of paraphyses 2-4 µm diam., sparsely branched, septate, containing yellowish droplets. Asci 160-220 x 19-27 µm, clavate to fusiform with a long stalk to ca 60 µm in length, thin-walled and not fissitunicate, the apex rounded, not blueing in iodine, 5- to 8-spored. Ascospores 28-40 (-48) x (10-) 12-14 (-16.5) µm, ellipsoidal to almost cylindrical with rounded ends, aseptate, hyaline, mostly straight and symmetrical, smooth, the wall thickened to 2-4 µm at the ends, usually with three oil droplets, without a gelatinous sheath or appendages.
Not formally assessed. Rarely recorded but perhaps overlooked.
Originally described from thalli of the liverwort Plagiochila asplenioides; also reported from Cephaloziella sp., Chiloscyphus polyanthos and Lophocolea sp.
Sacattered throughout the British Isles, mostly in western areas. Records are from VC24 Buckinghamshire, VC48 Merioneth, VC51 Flint, VC103 Mid Ebudes, VC105 W Ross and VC108 W Sutherland.