Lophodermium melaleucum (Fries:Fries) de Notaris, Giornale Botanico Italiano 2(2): 44 (1847).
= Hysterium melaleucum Fries, Observationes mycologicum 1: 192 (1815).
= Hysterium melaleucum Fries:Fries, Systema mycologica 2: 589 (1823).
= Lophodermina melaleuca (Fries:Fries) Höhnel, Annales Mycologici 15: 312 (1917).
= Hysterium pulchellum Fr.
= Hysterium melaleucum var. pulchellum (Fr.) Fr.
= Hysterium melaleucum Fr. var. pulchellum (Fr.) Fr.:Fr.
= Lophodermium maculare de Not. f. vaccinii-vitis-ideae Spegazzini, Decades Mycologicae Italicae no.98 (1879). [? inval. Art. 29] [!]
= Lophodermium melaleucum Fr.:Fr. var. aureo-marginatum Starbäck [fide Tehon 1935:100, Terrier 1942:28, but cf. Eriksson,ibid.:41]
= Lophodermium melaleucum Fr.:Fr. var. epiphyllum Zeller. [fide Tehon 1935:100, Terrier 1942:28]

ANAMORPH Tehon 1935:101 reports some confusion w.r.t. reports of anamorph for this sp.

HOST Vaccinium spp (Ericaceae), on leaves, twigs, berries, fide Eriksson 1970.

DISTRIBUTION temperate Europe and North America

TYPE UPS - lectotype, Fries, Scleromyceti Sueciae exs. No.29, on Vaccinium vitis-ideae.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED Fries, Scleromyceti Sueciae No. 29 (UPS, BPI).
Sweden, Uppland, Vänge s:n, vid Fiby urskog, on Vaccinium vitis idaea, coll. B. Eriksson (441c), 25.ix.1964 (UPS).
Sweden, Uppland, Uppsala, Bondkryrka, Nåsten. NO om Rödmyren, on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, coll. O. Eriksson (1730), 23.ix.1962 (UPS).
Sweden, Uppsala, Parish Bondhyrho, Nosten, on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, coll. H.H.Whetzel, J.A.Nannfeldt, 3.vii.1930 (BPI).
Rehm Ascomyceten No.1065 (UPS).
Germany, Saxony, on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, coll. W.Kreiger, ix.1900 (BPI).
Germany, Saxony, on Vaccinium oxycocci, coll. W.Kreiger, 12.vi.1911, Kreiger, Fungi saxonici 2158, as Lophodermium oxycocci (BPI).
Germany, Saxony, near Schandau, on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Deutschlands Schwaemme, Holl, Schmidt & Kunze no.81 (BPI).
Germany, Bohemia, Ternberg in Mähren, on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, coll. J.Piskorz, v.1925, F.Petrak Flora Bohemiae et Maoraviae exsiccata no.39 (BPI).
Russia, Prov. Jaroslawl, Berdicino, on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, coll. Serebrianikow, 3.viii.1909, Tranzschel et Serebrianikow,8 Mycotheca Rossica no.32 (BPI).
Italy, Cansiglio, on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, viii.1879, Saccardo, Mycotheca Veneta no.1478 (BPI).
USA, Alaska, Ketchikan, on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, coll. N.E.Stevens, 4.viii.1922 (BPI, as L. oxycocci).
USA, Ohio, on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, coll. F.C.Stewart, 1987 (TNS F-194588 as L. oxycocci)
USA, Washington, East of Northport, on Vaccinium caespitosum, coll. G.G.Hedgcock, 22.v.1935 (BPI).
USA, Me., York, Paines Bog, on Vaccinium macrocarpum, coll. R.Thaxter, 15.viii.1897 (BPI, as L. oxycocci).
Canada, British Colombia, Vancouver Island, Ucluelet, on Vaccinium ovatum, coll. W.G.Ziller, 6.x.1957 (BPI, PDD 18830).
Canada, British Colombia, on Vaccinium ovatum, coll. F.G.Inman, 20.ix.1948 (BPI, as L. oxycocci).

REFERENCES Tehon, Ill. Biol. Monogr. 13:100-101 (1935). Eriksson, Symb. Bot. Ups. 19(4):41-42 (1970), disagrees with some 8of Tehon's findings w.r.t. host range and synonymy. Ell. & Ev., N. Amer. Pyrenomyc.: 715, recorded on spots on living leaves of Rhododendron, though notes that the yellowish lips are not typical. Eriksson 1970 considered that Shear, USDA Tech. Bull. 258: 14-15 (1931), were confused over identity of this sp., discussing L. melaleucum under the name L. oxycocci. Höhnel, Ann. Myc. 15:312 (1917). Nannfeldt, Nov. Acta Reg. Soc. Sci. Ups. 8(2):205 (1932). Rehm, Rabenh. Krypt.-Fl,. ed.2, 1(3): 38-39 (1887). Hilitzer 1929:80-82, records on Rhododendron as well as Vaccinium. Terrier, Beitr. Krypt. Schw. 9(2):27-28 (1942), this sp. is type of Lophodermina Höhnel - :31, the subcuticular position of L. melaleucum is not sufficient criterion for the creation of a separate genus. :28, those spp. separated on the basis of lip colour, i.e. L. melaleucum v. aureomarginatum and var. epiphyllum are both conspecific with L. melaleucum. EXSICCATI Fckl. Fungi Rhen. 736; Sacc. M. V. 1478; Moug. &2 Nestl. Stirp vog. 654; Fries Scl. Suec. 29; Schmidt-Kunze 81; Libert Ard. 187; West Herb. 1045; Roum. Gall. 269; Tranzschel-Sereb. M. R. 32. Rehm ascom. 1065, as L. oxycocci [fide Eriksson ibid.]

DESCRIPTION Ascomata and pycnidia developing in pale lesions on dead fallen or attached leaves and on twigs, sometimes with faint, incomplete black zone lines around margin of lesions [well-developed in Hedgcock 22.v.1935].
Ascomata 0.4-0.7 x 0.3 mm, broad-elliptic to more or less ovate with a single longitudinal opening slit lined with pale yellow lip cells, some ascomata rounded to angular in outline with 3 radiate opening slits. Immature ascomata uniformly black walled or with narrow preformed line just prior to ascomata opening. Pycnidia numerous, round, 0.2 mm diam., pustulate, initially pale, becoming dark brown with age. [ note - Rehm 1065 and Hedgcock 22.v.1935 lack pycnidia].
Subcuticular. In vertical section in unopened ascomata upper wall 40-50 μm thick, mostly comnprising brown to pale brown, somewhat thick-walled, 4-7 μm diam. cells, but across central part of ascomata the inner half of the wall comprises thin-walled, hyaline, globose to irregularly-shaped cells forming a loose tissue. In ascomata starting to open upper wall up to 60 μm thick, tapering gradually to outside edge of ascoma, comprising brown to dark brown, angular cells, 4-8 μm diam, forming a complex pattern within the wall in relation to cell darkness. The outer 1-3 layers of cells and a group of cells immediately to each side of the centre of the ascomatal wall are dark brown with thick walls, the cells in other parts of the wall have only slightly thickened walls and are brown to pale brown. Lower wall 10-12 μm thick, of 2-3 rows of 5-9 μm diam, angular to globose cells, the outermost walls of the outer row of cells thickened and darkened, otherwise of pale thin-walled cells. Subhymenium of loose tissue of irregularly-shaped cells up to 30 μm thick.
Paraphyses 1.5 μm diam., undifferentiated to loosely circinate at apex. Asci 90-110 x 9-12 μm, subclavate, tapering to small rounded to truncate apex, with short basal stalk, wall undifferentiated at apex, 8-spored, development sequential. Released ascospores not seen, appear to be about 40-60 x 2-2.5 μm, and to have well-developed gelatinous sheath.
[from Whetzel & Nannfeldt, 3.vii.1930, BPI] Conidiomata subcuticular, upper wall comprises a thin layer of dark brown material with no obvious cellular structure, lower wall comnprises 2-3 rows of pale brown to hyalinem thin-walled, angular cells, on which the conidiogenous cells are held in a palisade-like layer. Conidiogenous cells 7.5-10 x 2-2.5 μm, cylindric to tapering to apex, solitary, proliferation sympodial, often with 2 conidia held at the apex. Conidia 4-6 x 1 μm, straight to slightly curved, hyaline, nonseptate, ends rounded.

NOTES Macroscopically with numerous, dark, pustulate pycnidia, yellowish, well-developed lips. In vertical section upper wall with complex pattern of dark versus pale cells. Subclavate asci 9-12 μm wide. Paraphyses more or less undifferentiated. In comparison L. oxycocci has no distinct lips, lacks pycnidia, in vertical section has an upper wall very uniform in appearance, asci 4.5-5.5 μm wide, paraphyses slowly increasing to more or less clavate apex, 4-5.5 μm diam.
Some variation in presense of pycnidia, for example absent from collections Rehm 1065 and Hedgcock 22.v.1935. Also variation in development of zones lines, absent in many collections, well-developed and more or less complete in Hedgcock 22.v.1935. Also variation in degree of development of lip cells, for example very prominent and bright in Tranzschel et Serebriankinow, Mycotheca Rossica no.32 (BPI), while in others can be quite dull and/or narrow.
This species is probably confined to Vaccinium. Reports from Rhododendron catawbiense (Farr et al. 1989) are probably incorrect. All collections of Lophodermium from R. catawbiense so far examined have been of an as yet undescribed Lophodermium species.

Notes from P.R. Johnston from the 1980's