Mycoarctium ciliatum, a coprophilic discomycete, was isolated from deer dung and grown on nutrient medium. Single ascospore cultures form ascocarps within 2 weeks. Typically, apothecial formation is associated with two to six well-developed ascogonia; ontogeny of the ascogonium is discussed. Excipulum and paraphyses both originate from the basal cells of the ascogonium and appear before the ascogenous system. The ascogonium also produces septate ascogenous hyphae of two types, primary and secondary. Asci form directly from ascogenous hyphal tips or via croziers, and may or may not be delimited by a septum from the subtending element. Conjugate division in ascogenous hyphae is implied by the presence of nuclear quartets. There is some evidence that asci may occasionally arise from paraphyses.
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