ULTRASTRUCTURE OF SPORE ONTOGENY IN SPECIES OF TRICHOPHAEA (PEZIZALES)

Trichophaea (Otideaceae) is a group of small, setose, operculate disco mycetes that produce smooth or ornamented guttulate spores and have ap othecia without carotinoid pigments. Their relationship to species of Humaria and Tricharina has not always been clear. Recent ultrastructur al studies seem to support the inclusion of the spherical-spored Sphae rosporella in Trichophaea, a traditionally ellipsoid-spored genus. In an ultrastructure study of spore development in Trichophaea abundans a nd Trichophaea paludosa, two patterns of spore development were found, one in T. abundans in which there is no secondary wall in mature spor es and another in T. paludosa in which there is a highly ornamented se condary wall. The types of spore development in these species are comp ared and contrasted with those of other Otideaceae. A reexamination of the limits of Trichophaea is indicated.