Abstract
Korfiomyces gelatinosum gen. et sp. nov. is described from resinous wood of an unidentified tree in the Venezuelan Amazon, part of the Guayana region; it is saprobic and not lichenized. The ascomata are apothecioid, arise on a brownish subiculum, are gelatinous and initially have a raised exciple. The asci are lecanoralean with a thin outer amyloid layer and occasionally a minute internal apical amyloid ring. The paraphyses are simple and capitate, and the as-cospores brownish and 1-septate. The possible affinities of the new genus are discussed; no family to accommodate it satisfactorily was found, and for the time being it is recommended that it be treated as Lecanoromycetes incertae sedis.
We are indebted to Dr Richard P. Korf for recognizing that this fungus required further study and sending it to D.L.H. for examination; and to Drs Hans-Otto Baral, Brian J. Coppins and Brian M. Spooner for their suggestions and comments as to the possible affinities of the fungus described here. Dr Burghard Hein also is thanked for annotating the specimen in 1988. This work was completed while D.L.H. was supported by Programa Ramón y Cajal of the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología of Spain.