NAME Asterinites tellezii
AGE Paleocene.   AGE span: 65.5...55.8 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Ascomycetes, Microthyriales.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.30fig.10.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Doubinger J, Pons D. 1973. Les champignons épiphylles du Tertiaire de Colombie. I. Le gisement de Cerrejón (Paléocène-Éocène); 96e Congrès National des Sociétés savantes, Toulouse, 1971, Sciences, v. 5, p. 233-252.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY A. tellezii Doubinger & Pons, ex Kalgutkar & Jansonius 2000.
LOCATION Cerrejon basin, Colombia.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Colony dense, reddish-brown. Branches opposed or unilateral, going out at various angles. Mycelial cells 1.5-4 µm in diameter, 7-25 µm long. Hypha walls sinuate to rectilinear. Stigmocysts intercalary, differentiated and bulbose, 3-6 µm in diameter, 7-15 µm long. Unicellular capitate hyphopodia rare, 3-4 µm in diameter, inserted directly onto the external mycelium. Bicellular capitate hyphopodia few in number, lateral, at irregular intervals, 5 µm wide, 8 to 13 µm long and antrorse. Cells of the foot 3-5 µm wide, 2-5 µm high and cylindrical. Stigmocysts 5-8 µm wide, 5-9 µm long, complete and globular, showing a lighter rounded or oval opening, 0.75-1.5 µm in diameter, and underlined by a darker border. Haustoria formed of a canal ending in a simple bulge in the epidermal cells of the host. Young stromata at the bulbous cells of the mycelium, 9-10 µm in diameter, in the form of a crenate disk. [Unedited translation from French; GSC Calgary Library, Translation No. T4047624.]
COMMENTS* This fungus is characterized by a developed external mycelium bearing intercalary stigmocysts and capitate unicellular and bicellular hyphopodia. The stigmocysts send out haustoria into the host cells (parasitic fungus). These characteristics have been observed on mycelia of the present family Microthyriaceae (order Microthyriales). The genus Cirosiella Arn. (series Morenoellineae) has bulbose intercalary stigmocysts located on very short branches of the final level, but it differs in the absence of capitate bicellular hyphopodia and haustoria with coralloid digitations. Analogous forms can be seen in Asterolibertia Arn. (series Wardineae), although the mycelium does not bear any stigmopodia. On the other hand, the morphology of species in the genus Asterina Lev. (series Wardineae) is close to that of the fossil specimens. Thus, it is difficult to compare with a given genus on the basis of well-differentiated ascostromata or pycnidia (perfect or imperfect forms). This difficulty, coupled with the lack of spores and the convergence of morphologies, is the reason for proposing the new genus Asterinites.

The species Asterina nodosaria Dilcher 1965, in having main hyphae which bear opposed or unilateral branches, is very similar to the forms observed on our cuticles. However, the presence of setae constitutes a difference. This species is dedicated to Professor N. Tellez (Bucara manga, Colombia). [Unedited translation from French; GSC Calgary Library, Translation No. T4047624.]
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Doubinger J, Pons D. 1973. Les champignons épiphylles du Tertiaire de Colombie. I. Le gisement de Cerrejón (Paléocène-Éocène); 96e Congrès National des Sociétés savantes, Toulouse, 1971, Sciences, v. 5, p. 233-252.
K&J REMARKS
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) A. tellezii Doubinger & Pons 1973, p. 234, pl. 1, figs. 1-4 (nom. nud.); Asterinites tellezii
SERIAL NUMBER 65
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.