Fungalpedia – Note 3226, Cornuvesicaceae
Cornuvesicaceae. D.F. Bao, K.D. Hyde & Z.L. Luo.
Citation when using this data: Bao DF et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1
Classification: Microascales, Hypocreales, Hypocreomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
On wood. Sexual morph: Ascomata superficial, scattered or in groups, dark, brown to black. Peridium firm, pseudoparenchymatous, textura epidermoidea to angularis. Ostiole hyphae convergent, compactly adhered to each other, pale brown to hyaline. Paraphyses terminating in obtuse apices, converging to form a narrow opening or slightly protruding beyond apical part of neck. Asci evanescent, deliquescing at an early stage. Ascospores falcate, straight or slightly curved, 1-septate, subhyaline, surrounded by hyaline sheath with both ends attenuated. Asexual morph: thielaviopsis like with two distinct ranges of conidial dimensions. Micro-conidiophores abundant, straight, unbranched or branched, hyaline or rarely pale brown, smooth, septate. Macro conidiophores less common than those of smaller size, formed on hyphae originated from perithecium, straight, unbranched or branched, pale brown to brown, smooth walled, septate. Micro-conidiogenous cells phialidic, collarette in distinct, hyaline or occasionally pale brown, discrete or integrated, intercalary or terminal, cylindrical gradually tapering to the apex. Macro-conidiogenous cells phialidic, collarette indistinct, pale brown, discrete or integrated, intercalary or terminal, cylindrical gradually tapering to the apex. Micro-conidia hyaline, oblong with truncate ends, aseptate, smooth-walled, in chains, endogenous. Macro-conidia hyaline, doliiform, aseptate, smooth-walled, in chains, endogenous (Viljoen et al. 2000; Marincowitz et al. 2015).
Notes: Cornuvesica was introduced by Viljoen et al. (2000) to accommodate Ceratocystiopsis falcata, originally placed in Ceratocystis (Wright and Cain 1961). A phylogenetic analysis based on SSU sequence data showed that Cornuvesica clustered as a sister clade to Ceratocystis within Microascales (Hausner and Reid 2004). Therefore, Cornuvesica was placed in Ceratocystidaceae based on phylogenetic analysis (Réblová et al. 2011; de Beer et al. 2013, 2014). Marincowitz et al. (2015) introduced three additional species in the genus. They reconstructed the phylogenetic analysis for Cornuvesica based on SSU and LSU sequence data and the result showed that Cornuvesica formed a monophyletic clade sister to Ceratocystidaceae within Microascales. Marincowitz et al. (2015) further placed Cornuvesica in Microascales genera incertae sedis. The placement of the genus was accepted by Hyde et al. (2020) and Wijayawardene et al. (2020).
In our phylogenetic analysis, Cornuvesica formed a monophyletic clade grouping with Ceratocystidaceae, Graphiaceae, Gondwanamycetaceae and two strains of Sporendocladia bactrospora (Microascales genera incertae sedis) (Bao DF et al. 2023). Morphologically, Cornuvesica is known by both sexual and asexual morphs. Cornuvesica is different from Ceratocystidaceae in having falcate, straight or slightly curved, 1-septate, subhyaline ascospores. While, ascospores of Ceratocystidaceae are aseptate, hyaline and varied in shape, hat-shaped, ellipsoidal or elongate to slightly curved, with rounded ends, oblong, cylindrical or narrowly fusiform to spindle-shaped. Graphiaceae is only known by the asexual morphs. It is different from Cornuvesica in having macronematous, synnematous conidiophores, conidiogenous cells in whorls of two to six, with annellidic extensions and cylindrical to obovoid conidia often with a distinct basal frill. While Cornuvesica has two types of conidiophores which are mononematous, conidiogenous cells of Cornuvesica are phialidic, collarette in distinct, discrete or integrated, intercalary or terminal and conidia are cylindrical to obovoid, often with a distinct basal frill. Gondwanamycetaceae is different from Cornuvesica in having hyaline, aseptate, fusiform to lunate or falcate or allantoid ascospores without sheath, mono-verticillate or penicillate conidiophores and cylindrical to allantoid, slimy conidia that are not in chains. Whereas, Cornuvesica has falcate or allantoid, 1-septate ascospores surrounded by hyaline sheath with both ends attenuated and Cornuvesica has two types of conidiophores which are mononematous, unbranched or branched and conidia are cylindrical to obovoid, often with a distinct basal frill. In addition, Cornuvesica is phylogenetically distinct from Ceratocystidaceae, Graphiaceae, Gondwanamycetaceae (Bao DF et al. 2023). The stem age of Cornuvesicaceae (209.88 MYA) falls within the family range (Hyde et al. 2017). Therefore, a new family Cornuvesicaceae is introduced to accommodate Cornuvesica based on morphology, phylogeny and divergence time estimates.
Type genus: Cornuvesica C.D. Viljoen, M.J. Wingf. & K. Jacobs, Mycol. Res. 104(3): 366 (2000)
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Cornuvesicaceae.
References
de Beer ZW, Seifert KA, Wingfield MJ 2013 – The ophiostomatoid fungi: their dual position in the Sordariomycetes. In: Seifert KA, De Beer ZW, Wingfield MJ (eds), The Ophiostomatoid Fungi: expanding frontiers. CBS Biodiversity Series, vol. 12. CBSKNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands, p. 1e19.
Marincowitz S, Duong TA, De Beer ZW, Wingfield MJ 2015 – Cornuvesica: A little known mycophilic genus with a unique biology and unexpected new species. Fungal Biol 119(7):615–630.
Wright EF, Cain RF 1961 – New species of the genus Ceratocystis. Can J Bot 39:1215–1230.
Entry by
Bao Dan‑Feng, College of Agriculture and Biological Science, Dali University, Dali 671003, Yunnan, P.R. China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
Published online 28 September 2026