Fungalpedia – Note 2968, Conicosphaeria
Conicosphaeria J.F. Zhang & K.D. Hyde.
Citation when using this data: Zhang JF et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.
Classification: Chaetosphaeriaceae, Chaetosphaeriales, Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Saprobic on decaying wood. Sexual morph: Ascomata semi-immersed to erumpent, subglobose to globose, gregarious or scattered, black, ostiolate, non-papillate, fragile in the apex. Ostiole central, with a pore-like opening. Peridium composed of several layers of pseudoparenchymatous cells of textura angularis to prismatica. Hamathecium comprising septate, unbranched, cellular paraphyses, intermixed with the asci. Asci 8-spored, unitunicate, cylindric-clavate, pedicellate, apically round with a J- apical apparatus. Ascospores overlapping bi- to 4-seriate, hyaline, fusiform, septate, straight, guttulate, surrounded by a thin gelatinous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.
Notes: Conicosphaeria is morphologically corresponds to Chaetosphaeriaceae in having subglobose to globose ascomata, with peridium comprising pseudoparenchymatous cells of textura angularis to prismatica, and cylindric-clavate, pedicellate asci and septate, fusiform ascospores (Réblová et al. 1999; Hyde et al. 2020c). However, it forms an independent clade and nested within Chaetosphaeriaceae in our phylogenetic analysis (Zhang JF et al. 2023). Based on a megablast search of NCBI’s GenBank nucleotide database, the closest hits using the LSU sequence had highest similarity to Dictyochaeta stratosa (CBS 138739, GenBank MT454505; identities = 853/894 (95%), 2 gaps (0%)), Zanclospora xylophila (ICMP 22737, GenBank MW144417; identities = 848/895 (95%), 4 gaps (0%)), Chaetosphaeria luquillensis (SMH 2973, GenBank AF466074; identities = 850/893 (95%), 3 gaps (0%)), Kionochaeta ivoriensis (CBS 374.76, GenBank MH872758; identities = 848/895 (95%), 4 gaps (0%)) and Nawawia filiformis (MFLU 18-1501, GenBank MH758206; identities = 845/892 (95%), 4 gaps (0%)). Closest hits using the ITS sequence had highest similarity to Dictyochaeta callimorpha (CBS 525.88, GenBank AF178555; identities = 435/506 (86%), 27 gaps (5%)), Pseudolachnea hispidula (MFLUCC 17-1238, GenBank MG764003; identities = 422/493 (86%), 23 gaps (4%)) and Stilbochaeta cangshanensis (GZCC 19-0525, GenBank MW133883; identities = 412/486 (85%), 26 gaps (5%)). Hence, Conicosphaeria is introduced as a new genus to accommodate its type species Conicosphaeria vaginatispora.
Type species: Conicosphaeria vaginatispora J.F. Zhang & K.D. Hyde.
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Conicosphaeria.
Figure 1 – Conicosphaeria vaginatispora (MFLU 18-2271, holotype): a, b Appearance of ascomata on the substrate. c Vertical section through ascoma. d Section of peridium. e Ostiole. f Paraphyses. g, h Asci. i–m Ascospores. Note: m is stained with India ink. Scale bars: c = 100 µm, d, f, i–m = 10 µm, e = 50 µm, g, h = 20 µm
References
Entry by
Jinfeng Zhang, Guizhou Provincial Institute of Tea, Guiyang 550006, People’s Republic of China, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, People’s Republic of China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.
Published online 18 August 2026