Spirographa fusisporella
Anamorph: probably a species of Cornutispora
Teleomorph: ascomata apothecial, 100–250 µm diam., immersed in host tissue but opening with a broad pore, sometimes with radial splits in the host tissue, often in large clusters. Disc concave, orange-brown to blackish when exposed, the hymenium not blueing in iodine. Exciple ca 40 µm thick, dark grey to brown-black, darker around the pore, the margin scurfy due to adherence of host tissues. Hymenium ca 75 µm thick. Paraphyses ca 1.5 µm diam., slightly swollen at the apices. Asci clavate to cylindrical, usually 16- or 32-spored. Ascospores helically arranged, (22–) 25–32 (–42) × 1.5–2.0 µm, narrowly fusiform, curved or sigmoid, the apices acuminate, 1-septate.
S. fusisporella is an aggregate species according to Flakus et al. (2019), with the segregate taxa largely host-specific. However, several of these have not been sequenced and their precise affinities are unknown. Collections from Ochrolechia appear to have longer ascospores (to ca 42 µm in length; see also Zhurbenko et al. 2018); these could correspond to S. vermiformis (Leight.) Flakus, Etayo & Miądl. (2019) but more data are needed.
In GBI, S. fusisporella s.l. has been recorded from thalli and apothecia of a broad range of lichens including Cetraria sepincola, Lecanora symmicta, Lepra amara, L. aspergilla, L. corallina, L. multipuncta, Leptogium teretiusculum, Lobaria pulmonaria, Megalaria pulverea, Mycoblastus sanguinarius, Ochrolechia androgyna, O. tartarea, Pertusaria pupillaris and Usnea subfloridana.
In GBI, scattered throughout Scotland, Wales and SW England.