NAME Hypoxylonites
AGE    AGE span:  mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Amerosporae.
FIGURE(S)
FIGURE REFERENCE
SPECIES, AUTHORITY Hypoxylonites Elsik 1990a (March), p. 143.
LOCATION
ORIG DESCRIPTION* ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS: Oval to elongate, aseptate, bilateral, psilate fungal spores bearing an elongate scar, slit or furrow. At the level of transmitted light microscopy, at least one species is faintly sculptured. The elongate furrow is parallel to the axis and can be of various lengths. Apices rounded to pointed; usually of similar shape but some species have an attachment scar at one end; apices can also be thickened or otherwise modified. The spore wall in most specimens is generally rigid.
COMMENTS* Hypoxylonites and Spirotremesporites Dueñas-Jimenez 1979, emend., are unique in being characterized by one elongate scar or furrow. The furrow of Hypoxylonites is straight and parallel to the long axis of the spore (Text-fig. 2). The furrow of Spirotremesporites is oblique to wavy to spiral around the axis of the spore (Textfig. 3). The Hypoxylonites morphotype is possibly produced by many living fungi (Table 4); most are ascomycetes in the Xylariaceae. The spore type is also produced by a few hyphomycetes. [Elsik cited a number of papers giving further details on possible affinities, and comparisons with similar spores produced by extant fungal species.]

Named for resemblance to the ascospores of extant Hypoxylon (Bulliard 1791) Fries 1849.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Elsik WC. 1990. Hypoxylonites and Spirotremesporites, form genera for Eocene to Pleistocene fungal spores bearing a single furrow; Palaeontographica, Abt. B, v. 216, p.137-169.
K&J REMARKS Salard-Cheboldaeff & Locquin (1980) did not validly publish the generic name Hypoxylonites, because they provided no diagnosis, and did not designate a type. Kumar (1990) proposed the genus Hypoxylonsporites for similar spores showing close affinity to the extant genus Hypoxylon. However, Elsik's paper has priority over that of Kumar, and hence Hypoxylonsporites is a junior taxonomic synonym of Hypoxylonites.
TYPE TYPE: Hypoxylonites brazosensis Elsik 1990a, p. 143, pl. 1, fig. 42.
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Hypoxylonsporites Kumar 1990 (May). Non Hypoxylonites Salard-Cheboldaeff & Locquin 1980 (nom. nud.; lacking a diagnosis). ; Hypoxylonites;
SERIAL NUMBER 708
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.