Taxonomic studies of Coronophorales and Niessliaceae (Hypocreomycetidae)
Huang Sk
Abstract
The number of species in Sordariomycetes has increased dramatically. However, some genera discovered earlier are poorly known, documented and thus need to be redescribed. This paper continues the work on 'Taxonomic studies of some often overlooked Diaporthomycetidae and Sordariomycetidae'. We provide descriptions, notes and figures or drawings for 71 over-looked genera belonging to Bertiaceae, Ceratostomataceae, Chaetosphaerellaceae, Coronophoraceae, Niessliaceae, Nitschkiaceae and Scortechiniaceae in Hypocreomycetidae based on observation of type materials, authentic specimens or studying the literature. The taxonomic placements of the genera are re-defined based on morphology and/or phylogenetic results. As a result, Gonatobotrys and Neotrotteria, which are often overlooked and have unstable taxonomic placements in previous studies, belong to Ceratostomataceae based on morphology and phylogeny. The lichenicolous genus, Nitschkiopsis, which lacks DNA sequence data, is placed in Niessliaceae based on its setose ascomata and hyaline ellipsoidal ascospores similar to Niesslia species. The type species of Cryptosphaerella lacks molecular data and is morphologically similar to Cryptosphaeria or Coronophora, both of which have ostiolate ascomata. Therefore, it is placed in Sordariomycetes, not in Scortechiniaceae, whose species are characterized by ascomata that lack ostioles. In addition, the taxonomy of species with ascomata lacking ostioles in Cryptosphaerella have been revised and introduced as two new genera; Neocryptosphaerella and Pseudocryptosphaerella based on the phylogenetic result. Seven new combinations proposed are Fracchiaea myricoides ( Coronophora myricoides), Neocryptosphaerella celata ( Cryptosphaerella celata), N. globosa ( Cry. globosa), Pseudocryptosphaerella costaricensis ( Cry. costaricensis), P. cylindriformis ( Cry. cylindriformis), P. elliptica ( Cry. elliptica) and P. malindensis ( Cry. malindensis).