Fungalpedia – Note 3078, Acanthohelicospora

 

Acanthohelicospora Boonmee & K.D. Hyde.

Citation when using this data: Jian Ma et al. 2024 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.

Classification: Tubeufiaceae, Tubeufiales, Incertae sedis, Dothideomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.

Notes: Acanthohelicospora was introduced by Boonmee et al. (2014), and typified by A. pinicola based on molecular and morphological evidence. Currently, the genus consists of four species, namely A. aurea, A. guianensis, A. pinicola, and A. scopula, all of which are saprobic on decaying wood in terrestrial habitats (Linder 1929; Goos 1989; Réblová and Barr 2000; Tsui and Berbee 2006; Zhao et al. 2007; Boonmee et al. 2014; Rossman et al. 2016; Lu et al. 2017a, 2018b). However, A. scopula has been transferred to other genera multiple times (Barr, 1980; Lu et al. 2018b). Acanthohelicospora shares similar asexual morph characteristics (conidiophores, conidiogenous cells, and conidia) with Helicosporium. However, Acanthohelicospora can be distinguished from Helicosporium by its loosely cotton-like colonies, longer, stiff or bristle-like, and unbranched conidiophores (Lu et al. 2017a; Xiao et al. 2023). Previous phylogenetic analyses have shown that Acanthohelicospora is a distinct genus within Tubeufiaceae and is distant from Helicosporium species (Boonmee et al. 2014; Lu et al. 2018b).

Type species: Acanthohelicospora pinicola Boonmee & K.D. Hyde, Fungal Diversity 68 (1): 251 (2014).

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Acanthohelicospora.

 

References

Barr M. 1980 – On the family Tubeufiaceae (Pleosporales). Mycotaxon 12:137–167.

Boonmee S, Rossman AY, Liu JK, Li WJ et al. 2014 – Tubeufiales, ord. nov., integrating sexual and asexual generic names. Fungal Diversity 68:239–298.

Goos R. 1989 – On the anamorph genera Helicosporium and Drepanospora. Mycologia 81(3):356–374.

Linder DH. 1929 – A monograph of the helicosporous fungi imperfecti. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 16(3):227–388.

Lu YZ, Boonmee S, Bhat DJ, Hyde KD, Kang JC. 2017a – Helicosporium luteosporum sp. nov. and Acanthohelicospora aurea (Tubeufiaceae, Tubeufiales) from terrestrial habitats. Phytotaxa 319(3):241–253.

Lu YZ, Liu JK, Hyde KD, Jeewon R et al. 2018b – A taxonomic reassessment of Tubeufiales based on multi-locus phylogeny and morphology. Fungal Diversity 92:131–344.

Réblová M, Barr ME. 2000 – The genus Acanthostigma Tubeufiaceae, Pleosporales. Sydowia 52(2):258–285.

Rossman AY, Allen WC, Castlebury LA. 2016 – New combinations of plant-associated fungi resulting from the change to one name for fungi. IMA fungus 7(1):1–7.

Tsui CKM, Berbee ML. 2006 – Phylogenetic relationships and convergence of helicosporous fungi inferred from ribosomal DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39(3):587–597.

Xiao XJ, Ma J, Zhang LJ, Liu NG et al. 2023 – Additions to the genus Helicosporium (Tubeufiaceae, Tubeufiales) from China with an identification key to Helicosporium Taxa. Journal of Fungi 9:775.

Zhao G, Liu X, Wu W. 2007 – Helicosporous hyphomycetes from China. Fungal Diversity 26:313–524.

 

Entry by

Jian Ma, School of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550003, P.R. China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand.

 

Published online 3 September 2026

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