Bull. Natl. Mus. Nat. Sci., Ser. B, 36(4), pp. 165–172, November 22, 2010

Enumeration of Remarkable Japanese Discomycetes (4): First Records of
One Operculate and Two Inoperculate Discomycetes in Japan
Tsuyoshi Hosoya1,* , Gi-Ho Sung1,3, Jae-Gu Han2 and Hyeon-Dong Shin2
1

Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo 4–1–1, Tsukuba, 305–0005 Japan2
Department of Environmental Science & Ecological Engineering, Korea University,Anam-Dong, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 136–701 Korea
3
Present address: Mushroom Research Division, Department of Herbal Crop Research, National Institute of Horticulturaland Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, Suin-Ro 150, Gwonseon-Gu,Suwon Gyunggi-Do, 404–707, Republic of Korea* E-mail: hosoya@kahaku.go.jp(Received 12 Aug. 2010; accepted 22 Sept. 2010)

Abstract Three remarkable discomycetes (one operculate and two inoperculate) are first records
in Japan and are described and illustrated: Cheilymenia granulata (Pyronemataceae, Pezizales),Mollisia amenticola (Dermateaceae, Helotiales), and Phialina pseudopuberula (Hyaloscyphaceae,Helotiales).
Key words : Cheilymenia granulata, Mollisia amenticola, mycobiota, Phialina pseudopuberula,taxonomy.

Introduction
This is the fourth part of the series on remarkable Japanese discomycetes following Hosoya(2009). Two inoperculate and one operculate discomycetes with minute apothecia, first reported
from Japan are described and illustrated.
Materials and Methods
Collection and observation procedures follow
Hosoya and Otani (1997) and Hosoya (2004).
Color codes follow the Pantone color code adopting RGB system referring to a Pantone color
bridge (Anonymous, 2005). For known distribution, the database of global biodiversity information facility (GBIF, http://data.gbif.org/welcome.
htm) was searched, and counties with occurrenceof the given species are shown with an asterisk(*). Distributions known only in literature areshown with double asterisks (**). Those withboth information are shown with triple asterisks
(***)

1.

Descriptions
Cheilymenia granulata

Figs. 1 and 2
Peziza granulata Bull., Herb. Fr. 10: tab. 438, fig.
3 (1790)
Ascobolus granulatus (Bull.) Fuckel, Jb. nassau. Ver. Naturk. 23–24. 1870. [1869–70]
Ascophanus granulatus (Bull.) Speg., Michelia
1 (no. 2): 235. 1878.-Seaver, North American Cup-fungi (Operculate) p. 116. 1928.
Aleuria granulata (Bull.) Gill., Champ. Fr.,
Discom. 56. 1879.
Humaria granulata (Bull.) Sacc., Syll. fung.
(Abellini) 8: 129. 1889.
Coprobia granulata (Bull.) Boud., Hist. Class.
Discom. Eur. (Paris) 1: 69. 1907. -Le Gal,
Discomycètes de Madagascar. p. 97.
1953.–Eckblad, Nytt Magasin For Botanikk.
p. 53. 1968–Rifai, Australian Pezizales p.
138. 1968.
Humarina granulata (Bull.) Nannf., Fungi
Exsiccati Suecici: no. 1363. 1946.

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Fig. 1. Cheilymenia granulosa (TNS-F-35041). A. Apothecia occurring on the ground. B. Section of theapothecium showing the hymenium, ectal and medullary excipulum. Note orange granules are concentrated
in the paraphyses at the hymenium. C. Close up of the section of the apothecium at the margin showing theectal excipulum. D. Ascus. E. Ascal base with crosiers. F. Paraphyses containing carotenoid granules. G.
Ascospores. Note either spumose or containing large oil drops. B-G, Mounted in lactic acid. Scales. B-G,10 m m.

Cheilymenia granulata (Bull.) J. Moravec,Mycotaxon 38: 474. 1990. var. granulata
Peziza granulosa Pers., Syn. meth. fung. (Göttingen) 2: 667. 1801.
Peziza fulva Huds., Fl. Angl., Edn 2 2. 1778.
Humaria gollmeri P. Henn., Hedwigia 36: 233.

1897. (teste Dennis, Kew Bull. 14: 428. 1959.)
Apothecia gregarious, sessile, broadly attached to the substrate; 1–2 mm in diameter,patellate to turbinate when fresh, 0.5–1.5 mm indiameter when dry; disc slightly pruinose, drying
more granular, orange (1505CR255 G145 B51)

Japanese Discomycetes (4)167

Fig. 2. Camera lucida illustration of Cheilymenia granulosa (TNS-F-35041). A. Section of the apothecium atthe margin showing the ectal excipular structure. B. Asci. C. Paraphyses. One at the right shows thecarotenoid granules. D. Ascospores. Two at the top left showing the cellular contents. E. Schematic drawingof the apothecial structure showing the distinction of the hymenium, ectal and medullary excipulum. Linedrawings prepared in lactic acid mount.

when fresh, paler orange (1485CR255 G176
B122) when dried. Ectal excipulum textura
globulosa, composed of globular to angular cells,
13–2020–30 m m. Asci 180–23012–14 m m,cylindrical, thin-walled, 8-spored, arising fromcrosiers; apex not stained by MLZ with or without KOH pretreatment. Ascospores (12)15–16
(8-)9–10 m m, ellipsoid, aseptate, spumose, smooth,
some containing one to two large vacuoles surrounded by fine globules, hyaline, uniseriate in
the asci. Paraphyses cylindrical, simple, irregularly enlarged at the apex up to 8 m m wide, 2 m m
below, filled with orange, granular to acicularcontents staining blue in MLZ.
Specimens examined. HONSHU: TNS-F-35041, Gokayama, Nanto-shi, Toyama Pref.
(36°2534.8N, 137°17.9E, alt. 719 m) on bearsoil, 13-VI-2010, col. T. Hosoya; TNS-F-25566,30887, Higashiagatsuma-cho, Agatsuma-gun,Gunma Pref. (36°3320.3N, 138°4242.9E, alt.
503 m), on plant debris compiled and decaying inabandoned human dunghill, 19-V-2009, col. T.
Hosoya.
Known distribution. EUROPE: Denmark*,
Germany*, Netherland*, Norway** (Eckblad,1968), Slovenia*, Spain*, Sweden*, Switzerland** (Breitenbach and Kränzlin, 1984), UK*.
NORTH AMERICA: USA* (Seaver, 1942). ASIA:
Philippines*. OCEANIA: Australia** (Rifai,1968). AFRICA: Madagascar** (Le Gal, 1953).

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Tsuyoshi Hosoya et al.

Fig. 3. Mollisia amenticola (TNS-F-30411). A, B. Fresh apothecia. C. Longitudinal section of the apothecium.
Note brown-walled ectal excipulum and medullary excipulum. D. Section of the apothecium at the margin. E.
Close up of the ectal excipulum. Note cells arranged right angle to the margin. F. Ectal excipular structure inthe crush mount. G. Ectal excipular structure at the margin in crush mount. Note marginal hairs (upper side).
H. Paraphyses. I. Asci. J. Ascospores. C-I, Mounted in lactic acid. J, Mounted in Melzer’s reagent. Scales. A,B, 1 mm; C,100 m m; D, 50 m m; E-J, 10 m m.

Notes. The present fungus was known as
Coprotus granulata for a long time (Corner,1929; Le Gal, 1953; Eckblad, 1968; Rifai, 1968;
Breitenbach and Kränzlin, 1984). However,based on the presence of hairs in the ectal excipulum, the genus Coprotus was reduced to a section in Cheilymenia (Moravec, 1990).
Cheilymenia granulata is known as a widespread coprophilous fungus. It has been reported
by various authors from various places (Le Gal,1953; Seaver, 1942; Eckblad, 1968; Rifai, 1968;
Breitenbach and Kränzlin, 1984), always on dungof herbivorous animals. On the contrary, thehabitat of TNS-F-35041 may be atypical for thepresent fungus. The soil was exposed to direct
sunlight, and found to be rich in plant debris.
TNS-F-35041 was associated with Scutelliniasp., also occurring on the soil surface, even more
frequently than C. granulata. The compositionof the soil and physical stimulation by the sunlight might have affected the germination ofascospores and production of the apothecia.
The apothecia discharged the ascospores vigorously, but no discharged spores germinated.
Eckblad (1968) and Korf (1973) reported apellicular sheath detached by heating in lactic
acid for this fungus. In the Japanese specimens,
however, no such pellicular sheath was observed.
2.

Mollisia amenticola

Figs. 3 and 4
Mollisia amenticola (Sacc.) Rehm, in Rabenhorst, Rabenh. Krypt.-Fl. (Leipzig) 1: 540.
1891. [1896]
Apothecia gregarious to scattered, shortstipitate; shallow cupulate when young, becoming irregularly undulate at the margin, 0.3 mm indiameter, up to 0.3 mm high when mature, totallywhite to grayish white, becoming brown toward
the base when fresh; disc white to grayish whitewhen fresh, grayish orange (Pantone 7401C=R
241 B 227 B 187), 0.25–0.75 mm in diameter

Japanese Discomycetes (4)169

Fig. 4. Camera lucida illustration of Mollisia amenticola (TNS-F-30411). A. Section of the apothecium at themargin. B. Asci. C. Paraphyses. D. Ectal excipulum and hyphoid hairs. E. Ascospores. F. Ectal excipulum. G.
Section of the apothecium showing the distinction of ectal and medullary excipulum, and the hymenium. H.
Ascal apex showing the reaction to Melzer’s reagent. Line drawings prepared in lactic acid mount except for
H mounted in Melzer’s reagent.

when dried; margin well defined, often slightlyelevated. Ectal excipulum textura globulosa,composed of two to three layers of brown-walled
cells, globular in middle flank, becoming angular, arranged nearly right angle to the surface,becoming hyaline and hyphoid at the margin(marginal hairs), 8–105–8 m m in crush mount;marginal hairs 20–252.5–3.0 m m, hyaline.
Medullary excipulum textura angularis, composed of thin-walled, elongated, pale brownwalled cells, 4–103–5 m m. Asci 42–554–6
m m (49.44.095.180.61 m m in averageSD,n18 measured in lactic acid, based on 3 specimens), cylindrical-clavate, 8-spored, arising fromcrosiers; apex stained blue by MLZ without KOH
pretreatment. Ascospores 5–82.5–3.0 (6.53
1.092.890.211 m m in averageSD, n30
measured in lactic acid), ellipsoid, occasionallytapered to the bottom, aseptate, smooth, hyaline.

Paraphyses cylindrical, 2–3 m m wide, even inwidth to the apex, septate at the base.
Specimens examined. HONSHU: TNS-F17420, Taraigoyazawa, plot No. T4, Susugaya,
Kiyokawa-mura, Aiko-gun, Kanagawa Pref.
(35°272.1N, 139°136E), on Alnus female
cones lying on the ground, 16-IV-2005. col. T.
Hosoya; TNS-F-30411, Osaka, Shijounawateshi, Osaka-fu (34°4343N, 135°405E), onAlnus female cones lying on the ground, 25-II2010. col. K. Shimohara. TNS-F-32118, Motomachi, Ikoma-shi, Nara Pref. (34°4128N,135°4122E), on Alnus female cones lying onthe ground, 10-III-2010. col. K. Shimohara.
Known distribution. EUROPE: Austria*, Denmark*, Poland*, Switzerland** (Breitenbach andKränzlin, 1984). NORTH AMERICA: USA(Kanouse, 1947).
Notes. Two other species of discomycetes are170

Tsuyoshi Hosoya et al.

Fig. 5. Phialina pseudopuberula (TNS-F-31300). A. Fresh apothecia. B. Longitudinal section of the apothecium. C. Close up of the ectal excipulum and the hymenium. Note short hairs protruding from the outermost
cells of the ectal excipulum. D. Various aspects of hairs. The left two shows longer hairs while the right twoshows the shorter hairs. Note some parts of the hairs are stained blue in cotton blue in lactic acid. E. Ascal
apex stained by Melzer’s reagent. F. Asci. G. Hair contents stained golden yellow in Melzer’s reagent. H.
Paraphyses. I. Ascospores. B-D, H, I. Mounted in lactic acid stained by cotton blue. E-G. Mounted in Melzer’s reagent. Scales. A, 1 mm; B, 100 m m; C-I, 10 m m.

known to occur on Alnus fruit: Pezizella alniella(Nyl.) Dennis and Ciboria viridifusca (Fuckel)
Höhn. Mollisia amenticola is distinguished fromthese fungi in shorter asci and brown colored,globular ectal cells. The color of ectal excipularcells varies from almost hyaline to brown, typicalof Dermateaceae. Although it is not described indetail in the recent literature (Kanouse, 1947), it
can be distinguished based on characteristic habitat and ectal excipular cells.
3.

Phialina pseudopuberulaFigs. 5 and 6

Phialina pseudopuberula (Graddon) Raitv., Folia
cryptog. Estonica 9: 1. 1977.
Hyaloscypha pseudopuberula Graddon, Trans.
Br. Mycol. Soc. 58: 151. 1972.
Hamatocanthoscypha tenuipila Graddon,Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 87: 329. 1986.
Calycellina pseudopuberula (Graddon)
Baral, Z. Mykol. 59: 4. 1993.
Phialina plowrightii Arendh., Morphologischtaxonomische Untersuchungen an blattbewohnenden Ascomyceten aus der Ordnung derHelotiales (Ph.D. thesis, University of Hamburg) (Hamburg): 53. 1979.

Japanese Discomycetes (4)171Fig. 6. Camera lucida illustration of Phialina pseudopuberula (TNS-F-31300). A. Longitudinal section of theapothecium at the margin. B. Asci. Three at the right show ascospores. C. Paraphyses. D. Hairs. Five at theleft show aseptate to few septate hairs, four at the right with stained by cotton blue in lactic acid. E. Ascospores. F. Ascal apex stained by Melzer’s reagent. G. Longitudinal section of the apothecium. F, Mounted
in Melzer’s reagent, the rest mounted in lactic acid.

Apothecia gregarious, superficial, shortstalked; pure white to pale brown (720CR233
G191 B155 or paler) when fresh, similar color
when dried; 0.15–0.25 mm in diameter, 0.1 mm
in height when dry; disc flat to shallow concave;margin slightly incurved when dry. Ectal excipulum textura prismatica, composed of several layers of prismatic cells, 6–112.5–5.0 m m. Hairsof various shape; longer hairs straight, graduallytapered to apex of 0.5–1.0 m m wide, multi-septate, up to 100 m m long, c. 4 m m at the base, protruding from the margin to the outside; shorter
hairs straight to curved or circinate, simple toirregularly branched, aseptate to few septate,
13–30 m m long, gradually tapered or not tapered
to the apex; long, septate hairs less frequently

observed than shorter, branched hairs; cellular
contents partially strongly stained by CB/LA,stained golden yellow in MLZ. Asci 40–50(57)5.0–7.0 m m (44.83.805.850.56 m m inaverageSD, n20, measured in MLZ without
KOH pretreatment), cylindrical clavate, eightspored; apex stained blue in MLZ without KOH
pretreatment; arising from croziers. Ascospores(11-)15–191.5–2.5 m m (15.82.720.25 m m
in averageSD, n18 measured in lactic acid),
elongate-ellipsoid, straight or slightly curved,aseptate. Paraphyses straight, simple, cylindrical, gradually enlarged toward the apex, up to3.5 m m wide, 2–3 m m below, septate; terminal
cells 25–50 m m long.
Colony on PDA in 20 days at 18°C 12 mm in172

Tsuyoshi Hosoya et al.

diameter, low and dense, irregularly wrinkled, radially sulcate with umbonate elevation at the center, brown (483C=R103 G51 B39) at the center,becoming reddish brown (486C=R231 G143
B119) and paler toward the margin, dark brown(476C=R76 G51 B39) from the reverse. Palebrown soluble pigment excreted into the agar.
Margin distinct, filmy. Aerial mycelium little
developed, velvety, hyaline. No anamorph observed.
Specimens examined. HONSHU: TNSF-31300, Ushiku Nature Sanctuary, Kessokucho,Ushiku-shi, Ibaraki Pref. (35°5747.5N,140°105.3E), on decaying Quercus myrsinifolia
leaf lying on the ground, 18-X-2009. col. T.
Hosoya.
Known distribution. EUROPE: Belgium**,
Czechoslovakia**, Denmark*, UK***, Netherland**, Norway**, USSR**, ASIA: India**(Huhtinen, 1989).
Notes. Because of its distinctive features of thehairs, having various shapes in particular short,
aseptate to few septate hairs, and foliicolous
habitat, this fungus was easily identified. Phialina pseudopuberula has been reported on Quercus, but also on Acer, Betula, Castanea, andFagus (Huhtinen, 1989).
The genus Phialina seems to be rather rare inJapan. So far only P. lachnobrachya (Desm.)
Raitv. and P. lachnobrachyoides have been previously reported (Huhtinen, 1989; Hosoya, 2005).
Huhtinen (1989) recognized various ascospore
shapes including septate, equipped with cilia, butsuch variation depends on the collection. The
specimen reported here did not show any of thosevariations.
Cultural characteristics is reported for the firsttime.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Mr. M. Hashiya andhis colleagues who helped us in collecting thematerials of C. granulata in Toyama Prefecture.
The authors also express their gratitude to Dr. R.

P. Korf, Prof. Emeritus, Cornell University forkindly reviewing the manuscript.
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