Phylum：Zygomycota　>>　Class： Zygomycetes　>>　 Order： Zoopagales 
   
 
　BCRC Number： NO BCRC Number!  
   
　Scientific Name： Syncephalis obconica
 
   
   
　Author：

Syncephalis obconica Indoh, Sci. Rep.Tokyo, Kyoiku Univ. Sec. B, 11:17-18. 1962.
   
 
 
 
 
　Description： Vegetative mycelium thin, sometimes subterraneous. Merosporangiophore solitary or 1-3 in cluster, delicate, 118-193 μm heigh, 7-12 μm in diameter at the broadest part near the base, gradually attenuated upwards, colorless. Rhizoids stout, usually simple, short. Heads obconical, 7.5-11.3 μm in diameter, 7.5-11.3 μm heigh, bearing 11-33 merosporangia on the truncate top in a circle. Merosporangia branched once at the base, forming two branches with a V-shape angle. These two branches were nearly equal in length, long, cylindrical, containing 5-6 spores, and connected to the head by a prominent projection which remained as a wart after the merosporangium detached. Merospores cylindrical, 4.5-6.0 × 2.5-2.6 μm. Zygophoric structure not observed.
 
 
 
 
 
　Specimens：

S3P201, parasitized on Mucor sp. isolated from soil, Yangmingshan, Taipei, April, 2002.
 
 
 
　Habitat： null
 
 
 
　Distribution：

Japan; Taiwan.
 
 
 
　References：

Benjamin, RK. 1959; Ho. HM. 2001; Indoh, H. 1962.
   
   
   
　Provided：

H. M. Ho
 
 
　Note： This species was first isolated from forest soil in Japan and described as a new species by Indoh in 1962. According to Indoh, the merosporangia were arranged in a circle on top of the head and were unbranched. These two features were used by Indoh as important key characteristics. However, Indoh’s student, Kuzuha (1973), stated that she observed Indoh’s specimen with branched merosporangia in the course of her study. Almost all the merosporangia were branched, especially in well-developed individuals. She also mentioned that Dr. C.–Y. Chien also observed branching merosporangia during the survey of Japanese Mucorales (unpublished). The author notes the observed merosporangia of the Taiwan specimen were branched like Kuzuha’s observation. Two other species closely related to S. obconica are S. depressa van Tieghem & Le Monnier and S. nodosa van Tieghem. They both have merosporangia attached in a circle on the top of sporophores head, like that of S. obconica. The difference between S. obconica and S. depressa is the branching merosporangia of the latter differentiate into a horizontal basal cell and 2-5 upright cylindrical sporiferous branches. The differences between S. obconica and S. nodosa are the latter has noded merosporophores and merospores with remarkably wrinkled membranes.