Colonies black, effuse, composed of erect conidiophores. Mycelium mostly immersed. composed of branched, septate, subhyaline to brown hyphae 1.5-3.5um wide. Conidiophores widely scattered or crowded, arising singly or in groups of up to 6, simple, finally up to 300µm long with the cells 12-22um Iong, usually bulbous and up to 9.5µm wide at the base. then 4.5-5.5um wide. and tapering to 3.5um toward the apex, brown to dark brown toward the base, paler toward the apex; the base characteristically bear, rooting hyphae. Some conidiophores are inconspi . cuously and transversely ridged toward the distal end.

Conidia produced bIasticalIy on successive new growing points toward the apex of the conidiophore which becomes swollen, up to 9µm and denticulate with the scars of fallen conidia. Conidiophores can produce a terminal extension which produces a cluster of successive conidia on the apex which also becomes swollen; up to 5 such successive extensions of a single conidiophore have been seen.

Conidia are dry, 1-septate, smooth, oblong to broadly ellipsoidal, sometimes somewhat narrowed medially, sIightIy denticuiate at the basal scar. pile brown to brown and uniformly pigmented or darker above the septum; they have a minute paler zone at the apex. Conidia measure 7- 1.5 x 4.5-5.7um. Conidia (? chlamydospores) produced on supeificial hyphae are sessile, broadiy ellipsoidal to obovoid. uiformly brown, continuous, and measure 7.2-10.8 x 4.5-5.4um.

The collections cited above are in excellent agreement with the original illustrated account by de Hoog (op cit.). Examination of a derivative of the type isolation of C. oblongispora Matsushima ( 1975) indicates that this name is based on C. ellipsoidea.

Cordana ellipsoidea is reminiscent of Arthrobot yella hernica Sibilia (1928), the type species of Arthrobotryella, described on rotten wood from Italy. Conidia of A. hernica were illustrated and described as ellipsoidal [to oblong]. 10.35 x 5.20um, and produced on denticles on a series of swellings on simple erect conidiophores. The genus was indicated as morphologically analogous to Gonabotrys and Gonabotrys in these two genera the swellings on the conidiophore precede synchronous conidium production whereas in Cordana the swellings are a direct result of successive conidium production. No type material of Arthrobotryella hernica is now in existence (Sibilia, in litt. 1954) and so far as I am aware the species has not been redescribed.

References: de Hoog (op. cit.), Matsushima 1975), Udagawa & Furuya ( 1975).