Hypoxylon crocopeplum Berk. & M. A. Curtis

TELEOMORPH | CULTURES AND ANAMORPH | SPECIMENS EXAMINED | NOTES

NOTES

This taxon is widely distributed in the tropics and the subtropics and highly variable in size of ascospores and in shape of perithecia. The stromatal surface color also varies from ochraceous, fulvous to rusty, infrequently with whitish shades, but never vinaceous. The lack of vinaceous tones is useful in separating H. crocopeplum from most collections of H. fendleri. However, a few collections of H. fendleri tend to have stromatal surface color grading into that of H. crocopeplum. These two taxa are most easily separated by using anamorphic features. See also H. cinnabarinum and H. subcrocopeplum.

The typical form of H. crocopeplum found in eastern North America has thin stromata with inconspicuous black basal tissue and spherical to tubular perithecia. Perithecial mounds are fairly conspicuous. When found in other areas, collections have thicker stromata with conspicuous black basal tissue and long tubular perithecia, as represented by the type materials of H. polyporoideum, H. haematostroma subsp. haematozonum, and H. ferrugineorufum. Perithecial mounds are usually lacking. Although cultures from the typical and the tropical forms are different in gross morphology, their microscopic features are very similar. For the time being, we follow Miller (1961) in considering H. polyporoideum to be a synonym of H. crocopeplum, and add H. haematostroma subsp. haematozonum and H. ferrugineorufum.

A few collections with whitish shades on the stromatal surface are easily confused with H. novemexicanum, but differ from the latter in having smaller ascospores and in having a dehiscent perispore.

Hypoxylon crocopeplum and H. subgilvum have slightly overlapping ascospore size ranges. They can be separated by their conidium size ranges. Hypoxylon crocopeplum differs from H. jecorinum in having larger ascospores and in having a different type of conidiogenous structure.

The Hennings type of H. ferrugineorufum at B was destroyed. The duplicate at S is here selected as the lectotype. We were unable to locate the type of H. crocatum. Miller (1961) also reported that the type of H. crocatum is lost.