NAME Haplopeltis neyveliensis
AGE Miocene.   AGE span: 23.03...5.332 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Ascomycetes, Microthyriales.
FIGURE(S)
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FIGURE REFERENCE Reddy PR, Ramanujam CGK, Srisailam K. 1982. Fungal fructifications from Neyveli lignite, Tamil Nadu--their stratigraphic and palaeoclimatic significance; Records of the Geological Survey of India, v. 114, p. 112-122.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY H. neyveliensis Reddy, Ramanujam & Srisailam 1982, p. 118, pl. 2, fig. 9.
LOCATION Neyveli, South Arcot district, Tamil Nadu, India.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Ascomata rounded, epiphyllous, brownish, prominently raised above the general surface of leaf, free mycelium lacking, 75-145 µm in diameter, conspicuously ostiolate, ostiole rounded, elevated, 8-15 µm in diameter, centric or slightly eccentric, bordered by 2-4 layers of small, angular, dark brown, thick-walled cells, ostiole border 5-8 µm thick; fruit body pseudoparenchymatous, cells non-radiating, angular, locally of irregular shape, 4.5-12 µm in diameter, thin-walled, margin firm, entire, composed of flattened cells.
COMMENTS* Epiphyllous ascomata of Haplopeltis type were abundantly encountered on the mummified leaves of both the clay and lignite samples. Fruit bodies of various sizes could be found on the same cuticle. In almost all cases, the fruit body mounds up away from the general surface of the leaf. Consequently, it is very difficult to get both ascomata and the underlying leaf epidermis in the same focus. Further, when the top surface of the ascoma is in sharp focus, the margin of the fruit body goes out of focus. The only known fossil species of this genus, viz. Haplopeltis mucoris [Dilcher 1965] is distinguishable from the new species in the possession of a single layer of ring of cells bordering the ostiole. The conspicuous border of the ostiole with 2-4 layers of dark brown thick-walled cells and the firm margin with flattened cells, are the characteristic features of Haplopeltis neyveliensis. The only previous record of Haplopeltis in India, H. mucoris, was from the Warkalli lignite (Rao & Ramanujam, 1976).
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Reddy PR, Ramanujam CGK, Srisailam K. 1982. Fungal fructifications from Neyveli lignite, Tamil Nadu--their stratigraphic and palaeoclimatic significance; Records of the Geological Survey of India, v. 114, p. 112-122.
K&J REMARKS Haplopeltis mucoris Dilcher 1965 is not characterized by a single layer ring of cells bordering an ostiole, as indicated by Reddy et al. In Dilcher's description of the species, the ostiole is surrounded by a ring of small cells, but there is no mention of the number of layers. However, the fruiting body of Haplopeltis neyveliensis is generally larger, and also its pseudoparenchymatous cells are much larger than in H. mucoris.
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Haplopeltis neyveliensis
SERIAL NUMBER 674
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.