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 Crocicreas epitephrum
SynonymsPeziza epitephra
BiostatusPresent in region - Indigenous. Non endemic
Article: Johnston, P.R. (1989). Some tomenticolous Crocicreas species from New Zealand. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 49: 108-111.
Notes: Although not mentioned by Carpenter (1981), C. epitephrum has divaricating cells lining the receptacle above the level of the hymenium. In New Zealand collections, the base of the short stipe of many apothecia is black, with the upper part of the stipe and the receptacle being white and pulverulent. C. epitephrum was previously known only from the leaf tomentum of Bedfordia sp. (Asteraceae) from Australia.
Article: Carpenter, S.E. (1981). Monograph of Crocicreas (Ascomycetes, Helotiales, Leotiaceae). Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 33: 1-290.
Description: APOTHECIAL MORPHOLOGY: Apothecia stipitate-cupulate, ca 150-200 µm diam, 200-250 µm high when rehydrated; when dry the margin inrolled over the hvmenium, then the margin and upper receptacle appearing pulverulent-white, lower receptacle pale pulverulent-yellow to pulverulent-tan; when rehydrated receptacle and stipe lighter than dry colors, the margin extended above the hymenium in the form of a collarette, not constricted; apothecia gregarious amongst the hairs on the undersides of Bedfordia leaves. APOTHECIAL ANATOMY: Asci 8-spored, (30-)33-35(-37) x (3-)4-5 µm, clavate. slightly tapered toward the base and there rounded; the apex slightly tapered but not papillate, not measurably thickened, the ascus pore channel J+ in Melzer's rea-ent, visible as two short, light blue lines in optical cross-section. Ascospores clavate, 4-5 x 1.5-2.0 µm, aseptate, the apex rounded, tapered toward the basal end and there subacute or rounded, smooth, hyaline, with a large central guttule or small, polar guttules, overlapping, uniseriate in the ascus. Paraphyses cylindrical, smooth, hyaline, aseptate, unbranched., even in outline, the apex rounded. equalling the asci, ca 2.0 µm wide. Subhymenium well developed and differentiated from the medullary excipulum, smooth, hyaline, ca 10 µm thick in its center, individual elements difficult to discern due to their small size and compact arrangement, hyphae ca 1.0-1.5 µm wide. Medullary excipulum poorly differentiated from the subhymenium, obconical, smooth and hyaline in the center, becoming pigmented very pale olivaceous at the junction with the ectal excipulum, not extending into the margin, ca 4 µm wide at the junction of the flanks and margin, ca 110 µm wide at the broadest portion, ending at the upper ca 1/3 portion of the stipe, consisting of compact, vertically oriented, narrow, long-celled hyphae, individual cells ca 10 x 1.5-2.0 µm. Ectal excipulum well developed and differentiated from the medullary excipulum, smooth, hyaline, forming a layer ca 20 µm wide in the margin, there the margin extending to ca 100 µm above the top of the ascl, broadening slightly to ca 25 µm wide in the flanks, subtending the medullary excipulum in the lower ca 2/3 portion of the stipe, there ca 60 µm wide, the lower ca 2/3 portion of the stipe ca 100 µm long, consisting of relatively broad, smooth, hyaline hyphae oriented at a low angle to the surface of the receptacle and immersed in a gel, individual cells ca 15-18 x 2.0-2.5 µm. Outer surface of the margin and receptacle covered with hyaline, amorphous crystals.
Habitat: HABITAT: On leaf hairs of Bedfordia sp., and B. salicina.
Notes: Crocicreas epitephrum is one of the most distinctive species in the genus Crocicreas. The extended margin, minute size of the ascocarp and hymenial elements, and its habit on leaf hairs of Bedfordia sp. are all features which distinguish this species from other taxa in Crocicreas. It is interesting to note here that I observed hyphae from the base of apothecia ramifying in the hollow leaf hairs, indicating that the source of nutrition for this fungus is leaf-hair protoplasm. Only three other species of Crocicreas occur on leaf hairs of dicotyledons: Crocicreas dryadis, C. espeletarum, and C. phaeoconium. Crocicreas dryadis occurs on leaf hairs of Dryas octopetala in Scandinavia and Great Britain, while C. phaeoconium grows on leaf hairs of Antennaria from eastern North America. These two species are closely related in the form of the ascocarp, their 3-septate, clavate ascospores, and relative size of the asci. Crocicreas espeletarlum is quite distinct as it has been found on leaves of Espeletia in the neotropics, and differs from all of the leaf-hair inhabiting species in that its margin is broken into long, triangular teeth. All of the leaf-hair inhabiting species have hyphae which ramify from the apothecial base into hollow hairs of the host substrate. Crocicreas epitephrum, although collected only twice, is quite distinctive and should be sought for in other areas of the southern hemisphere to determine its range of distribution.
The holotype collection of Peziza epitephra at Kew has no information on it and therefore I have cited it as a presumed holotype collection. The information provided on the packet that was sent to me was copied in handwriting other than that of Berkeley's.
Article: Berkeley, M.J. (1859) [1860]. Fungi. Flora Tasmaniae. Vol. II. Monocotyledones and Acotyledones. The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage III Hooker, J.D. (eds.) 422 p. 241-282 London: Lovell Reeve.
Description: White, minute, hemispherical or subglobose, hollow, scattered on a uniform brown substratum consisting of even, curled, brown threads.
Habitat: On underside of fallen leaves.
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