Fungalpedia – Note 3146, Bryonectria

 

Bryonectria Döbbeler, Nova Hedwigia 66(3-4): 334 (1998).

Citation when using this data: Perera RH et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.

Classification: Bionectriaceae, Hypocreales, Hypocreomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.

Bryophilous, biotrophic on liverworts and mosses. Hyphae grow superficially over host leaves and stems, preferring the anticlinal cell walls, ramified and anastomosing, colourless, thick-walled. Sexual morph: Ascomata 100–180 µm diam., perithecial, astromatic, develop superficially on leaves or in the leaf axils, ovoid, conical to pyriform, colourless to hyaline, sometimes yellowish, light orange or red, usually without setae, ostiolate. Ostiolar canal filled with periphyses. Peridium in surface view comprises irregularly ramified and anastomosing hyphal cells with thick, merging walls, KOH-. Apical paraphyses present. Asci 4- or 8-spored, cylindrical to clavate, freely floating in squash mounts. Ascospores 1- or 2-septate, ellipsoid to cylindrical, colourless, epispore usually cyanophilous. Asexual morph: Appressoria aseptate, 1- or up to 3-septate, formed laterally on hyphae, circular to elliptical or undulate in outline, sessile or pedicellate, haustoria absent. Conidiogenous cells occur laterally on the hyphae, phialidic, sessile, occasionally forming cushion-shaped conidiomata. Conidia tiny, globose or rod-shaped, colourless (Döbbeler and Davison 2018).

Notes: Döbbeler (1998) established the bryophilous genus Bryonectria based on B. hylocomii and referred it to Hypocreales without assigning to a family. Lumbsch and Huhndorf (2010) listed it in Bionectriaceae and this was followed by Maharachchikumbura et al. (2015). However, Döbbeler and Davison (2018) maintained Bryonectria in Hypocreales genera incertae sedis. Here we follow Döbbeler and Davison (2018). Twenty species are accommodated in the genus. No DNA sequence data are available.

Known distribution: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, USA, Europe, Romania

Type species: Bryonectria hylocomii (Döbbeler) Döbbeler, Nova Hedwigia 66(3-4): 335 (1998).

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Bryonectria.

 

References

Döbbeler P 1998 – Ascomyceten auf der epiphyllen Radula flaccida (Hepaticae). Nova Hedwigia 66:325–373.

Döbbeler P, Davison PG 2018 – Frullania as a hotspot for hypocrealean ascomycetes: ten new species from Southeastern North America. Nova Hedwigia 209–256.

Lumbsch HT, Huhndorf SM 2010 – Myconet volume 14. Part one. Outline of Ascomycota—2009. Part two. Notes on Ascomycete Systematics Nos 4751–5113. Fieldiana Life Earth Sci 1:1–64.

Maharachchikumbura SSN, Hyde KD, Jones EBG et al. 2015 – Towards a natural classification and backbone tree for Sordariomycetes. Fungal Divers 72:199–301.

 

Entry by

Perera RH, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou 550006, 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, Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand.

 

Published online 17 September 2026

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