Perithecia known only from culture, 200-250 µm diam, globose, nonpapillate and apparently nonostiolate and opening by splitting; pallid but many becoming dark with age. Perithecial wall 20-25 µm wide, composed of tightly interwoven hyphae, cells appearing elliptic to fusoid in section, 5-8 x 2-3 µm, walls < 0.5 µm thick; tissue at surface of perithecial wall textura epidermoidea. Asci (57-)60-80 (-120) x (9-)10-11 µm, clavate, apex with a disc-shaped, J+ (Melzer's) ring, 8-spored; ascospores biseriate, completely filling each ascus; asci forming in a hymenium. Ascospores ellipsoidal to narrowly fusiform to naviculate, (15-)17-23(-25) x 4-5 µm, 1-3-septate, hyaline, smooth. Paraphyses persisting among mature asci, somewhat longer than asci and apically free, unbranched, septate, ca. 4 µm wide but narrower at tip than at base.
CHARACTERISTICS IN CULTURE (Table 1). Conidiogenous cells formed in orange pionnotes, colorless, cylindrical, 3-4 µm wide, with sympodial and percurrent proliferations on the same conidiogenous cell. Conidia formed holoblastically, falcate and Fusarium-like, tip often curved and base truncate, 3-4 (6)-septate: 3-septate: 28-40 x 3-3.5 µm 4-septate: (30-)35-40 x 3-3.5 µm 5-septate: 34-42 x 3-3.5(-4) µm 6-septate: 35-50 x 3-3.5 µm

HABITAT. Isolated from dead stems of Passiflora edulis (Passionfruit). Known only in culture and from the original isolation.

Ascomata 200-250 µm diametro, globosa, papilla cumque in cultura orta ostiolo nonpraedita, maturitate peridium secessione rumpentia, pallida sed nonnulla saepe fuscescentia. Paries ascomatis 20-25 µm crassa, ex hyphis non laxe intricatis composita, cellulis hypharum conspectu frontali ellipticis vel fusiformibus, texturae epidermoideae visu. Asci (57-)60-80(-120) x (9-)10-11 µm, clavati, spice annulo discoideo iodi ope coerulescenti praedito, in hymenio dispositi. Ascosporae biseriatae, totum ascum implentes, ellipticae vel elongatae fusiformes vel naviculatae, 1-3-septatae, non coloratae, laeves, (15-) 17-23(-25) x 4-5 µm. Paraphyses ex ascis maturitate provecta exsertae, ascis vix longiores apicaliterque liberae, eramosae, septatae, ad 4 µm crassae crassioresque ad basim quam ad apicem.
Status anamorphosis Microdochium passiflorae Samuels & Muller.
Habitat in caulibus emortuis Passiflorae edulis Sims.
Holotypus: PDD 47874.

NOTES. Dr. Robertson (pers. comm.) originally isolated this species from dying stems of declining passionfruit plants. He reinoculated the fungus back onto 3 month old seedlings but no disease symptoms resulted.
In spite of an examination of many crush mounts and freezing microtome sections, we did not observe an ostiolar canal or periphyses in perithecia of this species. This is consistent with our observation that perithecia split at maturity. We would not be surprised if naturally formed perithecia are ostiolate. Other pyrenomycetes are known to vary in their ability to produce a perithecial ostiolum (Arx 1973).
Monographella passiflorae can be distinguished from all other species of this genus on the basis of the combined attributes of ascosporal and conidial measurements (see summary in Muller & Samuels 1984).

HOLOTYPE. NEW ZEALAND: North Island, Auckland, Mt. Albert, Mt. Albert Research Centre, on Passiflora edulis, G.I. Robertson, 1980 (PDD 47874).