The Pleomorphic Asexual State of Valsaria Insitiva in Artificial Culture

ABSTRACT

Valsaria insitiva was studied in culture. Ascospores germinated on agar and on host bark by forming yeast-like cells that reproduced by budding or from percurrently proliferating sporogenous loci. Yeast-like cells gave rise to mycelial colonies that formed oval to elongate conidia from lateral, percurrently proliferating loci. Hyphal cells sometimes disarticulated to form arthrospore-like cells. Eventually, colonies produced multiloculate pycnidial conidiomata which contained phialidic conidiogenous cells that proliferated to form periclinally thickened collarettes, or annellations, or sometimes underwent large proliferations which increased greatly the cell lengths. Conidia from conidiomata did not germinate.

Key Words:

• yeast
• conidial ontogeny
• Cytosporella
• Exophiala