ULTRASTRUCTURAL-STUDY OF CENTRUM DEVELOPMENT AND ASCOSPORE MORPHOLOGYIN OPHIOSTOMA EUROPHIODES

Recent ultrastructural studies have shown that species of Ophiostoma a nd Ceratocystis differ in their centrum morphology and development. In addition, hat-shaped ascospores associated with these genera differ i n their ultrastructural morphology, despite the fact that they are vir tually indistinguishable, using light microscopy. The aim of this stud y was to establish whether the centrum morphology and ascospore develo pment in O.europhiodes was similar to that found in other species of O phiostoma The arrangement of the centrum was similar to that found in other species of Ophiostoma Moreover the hat-shaped ascospores of O.eu rophiodes were typical of those found in other species of Ophiostoma a nd distinct from those in species of Ceratocystis. This study therefor e, confirms previous findings for Ophiostoma and contributes further t o our understanding of centrum development and ascospore morphology in this genus.