Copromyces

Fungalpedia – Note 2763, Copromyces

 

Copromyces. N. Lundq.

Citation when using this data: Huang SK et al. 2021 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1

Classification: Incertae sedis, Incertae sedis, Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi

Coprophilous. Sexual morph: Ascomata cleistothecial, solitary, superficial, globose to subglobose, membranaceous, dark brown, with hyaline surface hairs. Peridium membranaceous, composed of dark brown to hyaline cells of textura angularis. Asci 2-spored, ovoid, apex rounded, short pedicellate. Ascospores globose to subglobose, bright yellow, becoming olivaceous, brown to black at maturity, aseptate, guttulate, with a germ pore and irregular plate-like wrinkles on the surface. Asexual morph: Undetermined (adapted from Lundqvist 1967; Avila et al. 2002).

Notes: The monotypic genus Copromyces is typified by C. bisporus and has cylindrical to clavate, 2-spored asci and globose ascospores (Lundqvist 1967; Avila et al. 2002). The genus was initially placed in Sordariaceae (Lundqvist 1967). Petrak (1967) transferred C. bisporus to Rechingeriella (Zopfiaceae, Dothideomycetes), because it has 2-spored asci and tubercular ascospores similar to those of R. insignis. Subsequently, Lundqvist (1972) suggested that Rechingeriella and Copromyces are unrelated, because R. insignis has black, carbonaceous ascomata, distinctly bitunicate asci and ascospores with no germ pore, whereas, C. bisporus has membranaceous ascomata and ascospores with germ pore. Later, Avila et al. (2002) recorded that C. bisporus has cleistothecial ascomata and unitunicate asci with globose ascospores. Unfortunately, molecular data for C. bisporus is unavailable.

Copromyces sp. (CBS 386.78) was reported in the taxa sequence list of Huhndorf et al. (2004b) and noted as strain TRTC 51747 (& CBS 386.78, named as C. octosporus Jeng & Krug). This species, however, has not been formally described and is invalid. ‘Copromyces octosporus’ (CBS 386.78) was listed as the second species in Copromyces, and placed in Sordariaceae based on LSU and ITS sequence data (Huhndorf et al. 2004b; Maharachchikumbura et al. 2015, 2016; Vu et al. 2019; Hyde et al. 2020). However, in this study, the strain CBS 386.78 is sister to Pseudoneurospora canariensis (91%ML). As the species has not been formally described and there is no apparent holotype it needs recollecting and introducing.

We re-examined the isotype (749020) of Copromyces bisporus, which is well preserved, and observed that it has inconspicuously evanescent asci and dissolved hyaline filaments between the asci. We place Copromyces in Ascomycota genera incertae sedis pending molecular data.

Type species: Copromyces bisporus N. Lundq., Arch. für Botanik, Ser. 2 6: 328 (1967).

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Copromyces.

 

 

Figure 1 – Copromyces bisporus: (BPI-749020, isotype). a Herbarium material label. b Ascoma. c Ascoma with hyaline hairs (arrow). d Vertical section of ascoma. e Peridium. f Evanescent filaments (stained in Melzer’s reagent). g–j Asci stained in 5% KOH (h. arrow marks germ pore, h–j are the same ascus). Scale bars: b. c= 200 µm, d = 100 µm, e = 50 µm, f = 20 µm, g–j = 10 µm.

 

References

Avila AED, Chávez AJP, García LMU 2002 – Copromyces bisporus, a new record from Venezuela. Revista Científica 12(1):12–14.

Avila AED, Chávez AJP, García LMU 2002 – Copromyces bisporus, a new record from Venezuela. Revista Científica 12(1):12–14.

Huhndorf SM, Miller AN, Fernández FA 2004b – Molecular systematics of the Sordariales: the order and the family Lasiosphaeriaceae redefined. Mycologia 96(2):368–387.

Hyde KD, Norphanphoun C, Maharachchikumbura SSN et al 2020 – Refined families of Sordariomycetes. Mycosphere 11(1):305–1059.

Lundqvist N 1967 – On spore germination in the Sordiaceae, exemplified by the new cleistocarpous genus Copromyces. Arkiv Før Botanik 6(7):327–337.

Lundqvist N 1972 – Nordic Sordariaceae s. lat. Symbolae Botanicae Upsalienses 20:1–374.

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

Maharachchikumbura SS, Hyde KD, Jones EG et al 2016 – Families of sordariomycetes. Fungal Divers 79:1–317.

Petrak F 1967 – Ergebnisse einer Revision der Grundtypen verschiedener Gattungen der Askomyzeten und Fungi imperfecti. Sydowia 21(1–6):240–248.

Vu D, Groenewald M, De Vries M et al 2019 – Large-scale generation and analysis of filamentous fungal DNA barcodes boosts coverage for kingdom fungi and reveals thresholds for fungal species and higher taxon delimitation. Stud Mycol 92:135–154.

 

Entry by

Shi-Ke Huang, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China, The Engineering Research Center of Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, 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, The Mushroom Research Centre, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China

 

Published online 18 June 2026

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