The Developmental Morphology and Life History of Phycomelaina Laminariae

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the developmental morphology and life history of Phycomelaina laminariae are described. Growth is primarily vegetative in the winter with ramifying hyphae penetrating into the cortical tissue of the host. The advent of spring allows for more rapid maturation of ascomata thus providing for increased ascospore inoculum as host plant metabolism slows, predisposing a large segment of the population to infection. Spermogonial development precedes the formation of ascomata suggesting the holoblastically produced spermatia are involved in the fertilization process. Centrum development in P. laminariae is typical of the Xylaria type except for the presence of downward growing apical paraphyses. Both basal and apical paraphyses are deliquescent at an early stage.

Key Words:

• developmental morphology
• parasite
• marine