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All Fungi
Xylaria hypoxylon
Nomenclature
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Family: XylariaceaeGenus: Xylaria
SUMMARY
Anamorph: stromata 10–55 mm high and 1–2 mm diam., cylindrical, the apex either tapered or flattened and branched, white, powdery with conidia, the base broadened and tomentose, black, furrowed. Conidiogenous cells in a compact palisade, conidia clavate-fusiform, 8.5–12 x 3.5-4 mm, hyaline, aseptate, smooth, without a perispore or gelatinous sheath.
Teleomorph: stromata very variable in size and shape, 9–65 (–80) mm total height, with fertile parts 7–35 mm high and 2–5(–8) mm diam., mostly cylindrical to narrowly fusiform, sometimes with the upper part broadening to an irregular fan-like structure, terete to irregularly flattened, unbranched or branched (then usually from the base), nearly sessile to arising from long rooting stalks, always with flattened to mucronate sterile apices. Surface with a long persistent white peeling outer layer, turning progressively silvery grey to dull black at maturity, sometimes finely longitudinally furrowed, with prominent raised discoid ostioles, 150–200 µm diam., greyish brown to black, with a low conical papilla at the centre, perithecial contours usually not strongly domed. Outer layer 30–40 µm thick, leathery. Interior solid, homogenous to slightly fibrous, white to cream, with a slightly darker core in aged specimens. Stipes 2–30(–55) mm high and 1–3 mm diam., cylindrical to straplike, sometimes longitudinally folded, black, with a dark tomentose broadened base, smooth to tomentose above; tomentum dark purplish brown to black. Interascal tissue composed of sparse unbranched paraphyses 1.5-2 µm diam., hyaline, septate, swollen at the base. Asci 140-200 x 6-9 µm, the spore-bearing part 65-80 µm long, cylindrical, with a long tapering stipe 75–120 µm long, fairly thick-walled but not fissitunicate, the apex obtuse with an apical ring-like structure 2.5-3.5 µm high and ca 2 µm diam., that blues in iodine and is ± cylindrical with a slightly flared apex, 8-spored. Ascospores arranged obliquely uniseriately, 11–13.5 (-14.5) x 5–6 µm, ± ellipsoidal and inaequilateral with narrowly to broadly rounded ends, brown, smooth, aseptate, without a cellular appendage, with a conspicuous straight, or slightly sinuous germ slit extending along most of the spore length on the flattened side, without a perispore or gelatinous sheath or appendages.