Hapalocystis Berkeleyi and Macrodiplodiopsis Desmazieresii in Artificial Culture

Abstract

Hapalocystis berkeleyi and Macrodiplodiopsis desmazieresii were found fruiting together on host material, and were studied in artificial culture. Hapalocystis berkeleyi produced a Phoma-like anamorph with variable conidiogenous cells and hyaline, oval conidia, while M. desmazieresii produced a conidial state resembling that on host material, with distoseptate, four-celled, brown conidia and percurrently proliferating conidiogenous cells. Hapalocystis Auersw. ex Fuckel (Diaporthales, Melanconidaceae) is charac? terized by valsoid stromata, oblong or ellipsoid asci, and brown, appendaged phragmosporous ascospores (Barr, 1978). Little is known about anamorphic states of Hapalocystis species, but generally they are believed to be Stilbospora -like (Wehmeyer, 1941; Barr, 1978). Recently, a collection was made ofthe type species, H. berkeleyi Auersw. ex Fuckel (Holm, 1975; Barr, 1978), with perithecial stro? mata intermingled with pycnidia of Macrodiplodiopsis desmazieresii (Mont.) Pe? trak, a fungus that resembles Stilbospora in conidial morphology and ontogeny. Shear and Davidson (1936) showed through cultural studies that M. desmazieresii is the anamorph of Splanchnonema platani (Ces.) Barr [=Massaria platani Ces.] (Barr, 1982). However, based on earlier discussions of Hapalocystis anamorphs (Wehmeyer, 1941; Barr, 1978), it seemed that the two fungi in this collection might be different states of the same organism, and cultural studies were undertaken to determine if this were true. This study determined that: (1) the two states are, in fact, different fungi, a conclusion consistent with those of Shear and Da? vidson (1936), and (2) in culture, H. berkeleyi produces a Phoma-like anamorph. Since there is little published information on H. berkeleyi and M. desmazieresii, they are described on host material and in culture.