Ligiella, A New Genus for the Clathraceae

SUMMARY

Ligiella rodrigueziana, a new genus and species for the Clathraceae, is described from humus and rotten wood as its natural substrate. The receptacle is formed by five arms, although cross sections of unopened eggs show four or five. Anatomical studies show that the receptacle of L. rodriguesiana originates from primordial tissue, above the rhizomorph, that develops around the gleba. Initially it is a single unit which later branches into four or five arms, smooth externally and chambered internally. Each arm bears a well-defined glebiferous tissue in its internal face. The gleba is divided into a number of units corresponding to the number of arms. As the fruiting body develops, the compound gleba remains in place on the glebiferous tissue at the upper half of the arms. A medullar prosenchymatous tissue traverses the gleba in the unopened eggs. The fruiting bodies are joined by stolon-like rhizomorphs, and have an aromatic, licoricelike, nonphalloid odor.