NAME Hypoxylonites sulekii
AGE Middle Miocene strata in Venezuela; Neogene of the Gulf Coast; Neogene of the Pacific Coast, from northern California to offshore Baja California. Possibly older strata.   AGE span: 15.97...11.608 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Amerosporae.
FIGURE(S)
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FIGURE 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.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY H. sulekii Elsik 1990a, p. 156, pl. 1, fig. 10.
LOCATION Strata in the Socony-Vacuum Borehole # 2, Isla de Cubagua, Venezuela; the Gulf Coast; the Pacific Coast.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Aseptate, psilate fungal spores ca. 10-14 x 34-44 µm overall. The spore outline in top view is narrowly elliptical, with the rounded to narrowly rounded ends slightly or markedly protruded. The longitudinal furrow is a narrow slit or can be gaping with rounded ends, 1/2 to 3/4 the length of the flatter surface of the spore. Outline in side view reniform or boat shaped, asymmetrical; the furrow generally slightly raised, i.e. ends of the spore to the furrow are convex, then straight to concave along the furrow; opposite side low rounded and convex. Spore wall ca. 0.5-1.0 µm, thickening to 1.5-2.5 µm at the ends.
COMMENTS* Hypoxylonites sulekii is differentiated on its larger size from H. horowitzii and H. gulfensis. It is shorter than H. subuliformis. The ascospores of the extant Rosellinia aquila are very similar to H. sulekii; 7.5-12.8 x 20-38.8 µm, dark brown with short hyaline projections at both ends and a furrow which almost reaches the apices (Dargan & Thind, 1979). Both Rosellinia aquila and R. mammiformis can have appendages at the ends of the ascospore, and the work of Rogers & Stiers (1974) indicated that those appendages become pigmented and can persist in the mature dispersed spore. Similar spores from the Holocene of the Netherlands have been likened to Ustulina deusta by van Geel et al. (1981, pl. 2, fig. 44a-c). The separation of Hypoxylonites gulfensis, H. horowitzii and H. subuliformis still leaves a large group of natural taxa in Hypoxylonites sulekii. There is much to be gained by continued close study of these spores in terms of stratigraphy and paleoecology.

Derivation: Named in honor of John A. Sulek.
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
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Hypoxylonites sulekii
SERIAL NUMBER 746
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.