Plnnt SV . stemutics

Abstract

Three remarkable new genera of conidial lichen-forming fungi, with pycnidial or acervular conidiomata are described and illustrated. Hastifera tenuispora gen. et spec. nov. from the South-Tyrol, Italy, is characterized by very long and narrow hyaline conidia produced in pycnidial conidiomata immersed in thalline warts. Lichingoldia gyalectiformis gen. et spec. nov. from rocks subject to inundation by freshwater in Norway, has long sigmoidly curved conidia which appear to be adapted to dispersal in water. Woessiafusarioides gen. et spec. nov. from a Quereus stump in the Burgenland, Austria, has a finely granular thallus and disc-like conidiomata producing falcate conidia; this species is also of interest in that it has Chlorella as the photobiont. The recently described hyphomycete Cheiromycinaflabelliformis B. SUTTO~ is reported from Austria for the first time, and is also lichenized. Recent collections of Nigropuncta rugulosa D. HAWKSW. fiom Austria and Italy also show that this species is lichenized rather than parasymbiotic. In all five cases the fungal hyphae of the conidiogenous structures are continuous with those in intimate contact with cells of the algal partners and the biological relationship appears to be mutualistic giving rise to stable crustose lichen thalli.