Fungalpedia – Note 3022, Constrictochalara
Constrictochalara. W.P. Wu & Y.Z. Diao.
Citation when using this data: Wenping Wu et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1
Classification: Hamatocanthoscyphaceae, Helotiales, Leotiomycetidae, Leotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Etymology: Refers to its phialides with significant constriction between venters and collarettes.
Colonies effuse, scattered, pale brown, minute. Mycelium partly immersed and partly superficial, composed of pale brown, septate and branched hyphae with smooth and thin wall. Anamorph: Stroma absent. Setae absent. Conidiophores formed from superficial hyphae, scattered, cylindrical, brown, septate, smooth, with or without percurrent and/or sympodial proliferations. Conidiogenous cells integrated, determinate, phialidic, subcylindrical, lageniform, ampulliform, erect, straight or slightly curved, brown, smooth, consisting of a venter and a collarette, transition from venter to collarette abrupt and marked by a pronounced constriction; venter ellipsoidal, subcylindrical, brown; collarette cylindrical. Conidia enteroblastic, endogenous, hyaline, aseptate, clavate, cylindrical, apex rounded, base truncate, extruded in short chains. Teleomorph: Unknown.
Ecology/substrate/host: Saprobe on decaying material of plants or from soil.
Geographical distribution: Europe and China.
Notes: In the phylogenetic analyses from this study (Figs, 2, 3, 121; Wenping Wu et al. 2023), four species of chalara-like fungi, known as Chalara constricta, C. ellisii, C. holubovae and Hamatocanthoscypha podocarpi, and an undescribed species, were grouped together as a strongly supported monophyletic clade distinct from other chalara-like fungi. Morphologically all the five species shared some similarities such as solitary, simple and short conidiophores, abrupt transition from venter to collarette and marked by a pronounced and dark colored constriction, and hyaline, aseptate conidia with obtuse to truncate ends, which were different from other chalara-like fungal genera. The new genus Constrictochalara is established for these species, which are morphologically similar to Chalara s. str., but differs in transition from venter to collarettes marked by a constriction and darker area in the cell wall.
Phylogenetically Constrictochalara is also closely related to Infundichalara, but morphologically differs from it by tubular-shaped collarettes and endogenous conidia, while collarettes in Infundichalara are more or less funnel-shaped, and conidia are ellipsoidal and not endogenous (Réblová et al. 2011). Five species were accepted in this new genus. However, several other known species of Chalara s. lat. with similar morphology, such as Chalara novae-zelandiae, C. verruculosa, Chalara state of Ceratocystis autographa, and Chalara state of Cryptendoxyla hypophloia, might also belong to the genus (Nag Raj and Kendrick 1975; Sutton 1993; McKenzie et al. 2002).
Type species: Constrictochalara clavatospora W.P. Wu & Y.Z. Diao
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Constrictochalara.
Figure 1 – Constrictochalara clavatospora (Wu15217, holotype). a–l, o–q conidiophores and phialides. m, n, r–t conidia. Scale bar 5 μm.
References
Sutton BC 1993 – Mitosporic fungi from Malawi. Mycol Pap 167:1–93.
Wu W, Diao Y. 2023 – The chalara-like anamorphs of Leotiomycetes. Fungal Diversity, 119(1), 213–490.
Entry by
Wenping Wu, R&D Center, Novozymes China, No. 14 Xin Xi Lu, Shangdi Zone, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, P.R. China
Published online 07 September 2026