Nemania caries (Schwein.) Y.-M. Ju & J. D. Rogers
TELEOMORPH | CULTURES AND ANAMORPH | SPECIMENS EXAMINED | NOTES
NOTES
Shear (1928) first considered this fungus a synonym of Hypoxylon serpens but he (1947) later recognized it as a distinct species which was followed by Miller (1961) and Petrini & Rogers (1986). On the other hand, Martin (1968) and Pouzar (1985b) treated N. caries as conspecific with H. serpens. Shear (1947) checked the Schweinitz specimens of Sphaeria caries at PH and designated the piece of material in the mounted specimen with ascospores 10-12 x 4 µm, which was prepared by Michener, as the (lecto)type. According to Shear (1947), the other piece in the mounted specimen is H. udum [º Euepixylon udum]. We have examined the specimen prepared by Michener and also studied a microscope slide made by Shear from this specimen. The ascospores are almost cylindrical, typical for the species as defined by Shear (1947), Miller (1961), and Petrini & Rogers (1986). Schweinitz's autographed specimen of S. caries in Collins Collection [USA: Pennsylvania, Bethlehem, on decorticated wood, L.V.D. Schweinitz, Syn. 1222, Collins Coll. no. 48 (PH)] is N. serpens var. colliculosa. This specimen was considered by Shear (1947) to be H. serpens. It has also been studied by Z. Pouzar who annotated on a paper slip "Hypoxylon serpens f. serpens." It is very likely that, based on this specimen, Pouzar (1985b) synonymized S. caries with N. serpens.