NAME Callimothallus senii
AGE Eocene.   AGE span: 55.8...33.9 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Ascomycetes, Microthyriales.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.23fig.18.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Venkatachala BS, Kar RK. 1969. Palynology of the Tertiary sediments in Kutch-2. Epiphyllous fungal remains from the borehole no. 14; The Palaeobotanist, v. 17 (1968), p. 179-183.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY C. senii (Venkatachala & Kar) Kalgutkar & Jansonius 2000
LOCATION Bore-hole No. 14, Matanamadh, Kutch, Gujarat, India.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Perithecium subcircular, 100-140 µm; dark brown in color, one-layer thick in most cases. Central part of the perithecium darker than neighbouring regions; in the latter each stromatal cavity possesses one hypha. Hyphae radially arranged, pseudoparenchymatous; outer layer thickened and with minutely serrated margin due to setose sculpture on peripheral margin. Asci not seen.

[For further detail, see original generic description: Perithecium 100-140 µm, dark brown, subcircular-circular in overall shape, mostly one-cell thick; 4-5 cells in the middle part of the perithecium darker than the adjacent region and lacking a hypha; perithecium pseudoparenchymatous, formed by radiating hyphae; cells in the middle region more or less square (4 x 5 µm), but more rectangular closer to the periphery (10 x 3 µm). Outer cells thickened on periphery, minutely setose; stromatic cavities adjacent to central part possess one transparent hypha in each cell, but not all outer cells of the perithecium have one. Asci not seen but it seems that one ascus developed in each cavity.]
COMMENTS* Phragmothyrites Edwards 1922 resembles the present genus, but can be distinguished by the larger size of its pseudoparenchymatous cells and presence of one hypha in each cavity surrounding the central part of the perithecium. The present genus is also characterized by thickened peripheral cells with minute setae on the other side. Notothyrites Cookson 1947a can easily be differentiated by its prominent ostiole bordered by three to five layers of dark brown, thick-walled cells. Asterothyrites Cookson 1947a is amphigenous with fine mycelium and brown hyphae, and its ascomata are scattered, astomate and composed of slender, straight or slightly flexuous radiating hyphae. Euthythyrites Cookson 1947a is also amphigenous and has ascomata with elliptical, forked or rounded ends. This dehisces by a longitudinal slit along the length of the ascoma. Microthyriacites Cookson 1947a lacks hyphae in the stromatic cavities. Trichopeltinites Cookson 1947a is elongated, leaf-like with many lobes and some branches. Plochmopeltinites Cookson 1947a is pseudoparenchymatous with sinuous hyphae.]

Named for the late Dr. J. Sen of the Botanical Survey of India who laid a foundation for Tertiary palynology in India.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Venkatachala BS, Kar RK. 1969. Palynology of the Tertiary sediments in Kutch-2. Epiphyllous fungal remains from the borehole no. 14; The Palaeobotanist, v. 17 (1968), p. 179-183.
K&J REMARKS Jain & Gupta (1970) classified Pseudosphaerialites under non-ostiolate ascomata with porate cells, along with Callimothallus. Elsik (1978) considered Pseudosphaerialites a synonym of Callimothallus.

The photograph of the type clearly shows the presence of (mostly centripetal) transparent pores, of the kind seen in Callimothallus, and hence Kalgutkar and Jansonius (2000) transfer the species to this genus.

The original description is not clear in its use of the word "hypha."
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Pseudosphaerialites senii Venkatachala & Kar 1969, p. 181, pl. 1, fig. 6.; Callimothallus senii
SERIAL NUMBER 162
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.