Paleomycology of the Princeton Chert I. Fossil hyphomycetes associated with the early Eocene aquatic angiosperm, Eorhiza arnoldii

Abstract

The Eocene (~ 48.7 Ma, Ypresian–Lutetian) Princeton Chert of British Columbia, Canada, has long been recognized as a significant paleobotanical locality, and a diverse assemblage of anatomically preserved fossil plants has been extensively documented. Co-occurring fossil fungi also have been observed, but the full scope of their diversity has yet to be comprehensively assessed. Here, we present the first of a series of investigations of fossilized fungi associated with the silicified plants of the Princeton Chert. This report focuses on saprotrophic, facultative-aquatic hyphomycetes observed in cortical aerenchyma tissue of an enigmatic angiosperm, Eorhiza arnoldii. Our use of paleontological thin sections provides the opportunity to observe and infer developmental features, making it possible to more accurately attribute two hyphomycetes that were observed in previous studies. These comprise multiseptate, holothallic, chlamydospore-like phragmoconidia most similar to extant Xylomyces giganteus and basipetal phragmospore-like chains of amerospores like those of extant Thielaviopsis basicola. We also describe a third hyphomycete that previously has not been recognized from this locality; biseptate, chlamydosporic phragmoconidia are distinguished by darkly melanized, inflated apical cells and are morphologically similar to Brachysporiella rhizoidea or Culcitalna achraspora.