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Nemania serpens (Pers. Fr.) S. F. Gray var. hydnicola
(Schwein.) Y.-M. Ju & J. D. Rogers.
Stromata superficial, irregularly effused to slightly pulvinate, 8-20 mm long
x 3-8 mm broad x 0.6-0.8 mm thick, weakly carbonaceous; surface iron grey (122) to dull black,
with an olivaceous brown hyphal coating when immature, undulate with inconspicuous perithecial mounds;
interperithecial tissue blackish, soft, basal tissue 0.2-0.3 mm thick, blackish, diffusing into host context; margin effused.
Perithecia subglobose to obovoid, 0.4-0.5 mm high x 0.35-0.45 mm diam.
Ostioles minutely papillate, black.
Asci cylindrical, long-stipitate, the spore-bearing parts 63-98 µm
long x 6-8 µm broad, the stipes 50-70 µm long, with apical apparatus amyloid,
cylindrical to inverted hat-shaped, 2.5-3 µm high x 2 µm broad.
Ascospores
9.9.5-12 x 4.5-5 µm, pale to medium brown, ellipsoid-inequilateral with
narrowly rounded to acute ends, with a short inconspicuous germ
slit on the less convex side.
Anamorph on the natural substrate: pale olivaceous grey (120) to olivaceous grey (121), felty, on immature stromata.
Conidiogenous structure Geniculosporium-like, with conidia globose, 3-3.5 µm diam.
Specimens examined: FRANCE: Ariège (09): Aulus les Bains,
ruisseau du Fouillet, 950 m, 10 Sept. 2004, JF-04205, on a rotten Fomitopsis pinicola
on Ulmus; Prat Communal, Loumet, 1000 m, 16 Jun. 2004, JF-04134, on a rotten Fomitopsis
pinicola on Abies alba.
Notes: Nemania serpens var. hydnicola differs from the typical variety in less
carbonaceous stromata with inconspicuous perithecial mounds and smaller perithecia.
Microscopically, its asci differ in that apical apparatus is amyloid. It is primarily distinguished from Nemania serpens
var colliculosa by its fungicolous habitat and more acutely ended ascospores.
Granmo et al. (1999) consider it as a distinct species, as N. reticulata (P. Karsten) Granmo.
According to these authors, the fungicolous habitat, mostly on Fomitopsis pinicola,
is characteristic for this species. A systematic search for Nemania serpens var. hydnicola on this
host in Ariège failed until it was undertaken at the mountain level where it seems not to be uncommon.
Its stromata can either grow on the lower part or on the upper part of the rotten basidiomata of Fomitopsis pinicola
and their small size added to their dull grey colour make them easily overlooked.
Nemania serpens var. hydnicola is known from Norway, Sweden, Finland and USA (Granmo et al., 1999).
It is reported herein from France for the first time, but its host is widespread and it probably could
be reported from any suitable mountain forest elsewhere in Europe.
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