Freshwater ascomycetes: Aquapoterium pinicola, a new genus and species of Helotiales (leotiomycetes) from Florida.

As part of a survey of freshwater ascomycetes in Florida an unusual discomycete fungus belonging in the Helotiales was found on submerged Pinus needles. This fungus is described and illustrated as a new genus and species, Aquapoterium pinicola, based on morphological data. Aquapoterium pinicola is characterized by minute, hyaline apothecia with an excipulum one cell layer thick of parallel hyphae composed of chains of cells narrow at the basal end and enlarged at the apical end and aseptate ascospores that are surrounded by a gelatinous sheath. Analyses of the nuclear ribosomal large subunit DNA sequence data confirmed its placement within the Helotiales but failed to resolve its familial placement.