TYPE. UNITED STATES. Rhode Island, North Kingston, on Pinus rigida, on cf. Lepra pustulata, 1865, Bennett (FH, holotype).
Life form. Lichenicolous fungus.
Description. [Modified from Diederich & Etayo (2000)] Thallus absent; photobiont absent. Ascomata immersed in the host, bordered by thallus, dispersed or aggregated, blackish, roundish, 100-140 μm diam., margin in opened ascomata 45-50 μm thick, striate, often whitish due to remnants of host thallus without fissures; pore 20-35 μm diam. Exciple except at base internally greenish olive, intensifying in K, externally darker grayish or olive-brown, K+ purple, 17-45 μm thick; basal exciple yellowish brown or brownish (lacking green pigment), K-, 5-25 μm thick; excipular hairs hyaline to olive, septate, straight, wall apically no thickened, 10-20 x 2-3 μm. Subhymenium hyaline, ~10 μm thick; hymenium 50-60 μm high; epihymenium hyaline. Paraphyses filiform, simple to ramified, septate, apically not thickened, 1-1.5 μm thick. Asci subcylindrical, wall apically thicker, (4-)8-spored; ascospores hyaline, simple, 9-12(-16) x 3.5-5 μm.
Host and habitat: On thalli of Lepra pustulata on trees.
Distribution. Eastern North America; in North Carolina found in the Blue Ridge ecoregion.
Literature
Diederich, P. & J. Etayo (2000) A synopsis of the genera Skyttea, Llimoniella and Rhymbocarpus (lichenicolous ascomycota, Leotiales). The Lichenologist32(5): 423-485.