Sclerococcum sphaerale (Ach.) Fr.

Parasite Ascomycota of Pertusaria corallina.

    Lichenicolous fungus, the anamorph of which is found as black subglobose sporodochia, 0.1-0.3 mm across, scattered over the host thallus. These sporodochia produce brown subglobose or spherical conidia with thick walls, 6-10 µm diam., in clusters of 6 to 15. The infection induces on the host the presence of flat areoles without isidia or more or less aborted isidia. The host is mostly Pertusaria corallina and seldom, according to the literature Pertusaria pseudocorallina and Pertusaria lactea.

N.B. Pertusaria corallina may also be parasited by Spirographa fusisporella of similar aspect, that destroys almost completely the host areoles. But this species has fusiform ascospores, 1-septate, apices pointed , and 16 to 32 spores per ascus.*