Geneosperma Rifai (1968), originally created as a monotypic genus with the type species Geneosperma geneosporum (Berk.) Rifai [= Scutellinia geneospora (Berk.) O. Kuntze, based on Peziza geneospora Berk.], is newly combined here and given the new status of a subgenus of the genus Scutellinia, subgen. Geneosperma (Rifai) comb, et stat. nov.. Besides the type species, the subgenus also comprises two other recently described species, Scutellinia laevispora (Korfet Zhuang) comb. nov. (basionym: Geneosperma laevisporum Korfet Zhuang 1986), and Scutellinia totaranuiensis J. Moravec (1996). Geneospora was synonymized with Scutellinia by Korf (1972, 1973) but later re-evaluated as a good genus again by Korf and Zhuang (1986), and recently recombined by T. Schumacher (1990) t other ank of section of the genus Scutellinia, sect. Geneospermae (Rifai) T. Schumacher. The three species have been studied including the ascospore characteristic by using SEM photomicrographs. Despite the peculiar nature of their ascospores well delimiting Geneosperma ( the ascospores are embedded in a hyaline, membranous sheath which surrounds them in the for m of follicles tapering to the apiculi on the ascospore poles), these three species share all other basic features which characterize the genus Scutellinia. Therefore, the author keeps the infrageneric conception of Geneosperma but simultaneously prefers itssubgeneric position proposed here, which better than its rank of a mere section respects the distinction of the ascospores. On the epispore of ascospores of S. laevispora (a species originally described as smooth spored) peculiar pulvinate cyanophilic tubercles have been observed and verified by SEM. The ascospore character is discussed. A key to the three so far known species of the subgenus Geneosperma and illustrations including SEM of ascospores accompany the paper.
Moravec J. (1997): Key to the species of Scutellinia subgen. Geneosperma (Rifai) comb. et stat. nov. (Discomycetes, Pezizales, Pyronemataceae). – Czech Mycology 50(2): 85–97.
