Fungalpedia – Note 2820, Gymnascella
Gymnascella. Peck.
Citation when using this data: Kandemir H et al. 2022 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank
Classification: Gymnoascaceae, Onygenales, Eurotiomycetidae, Eurotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Orr and Kuehn (1972) described A. verruculosus based on the presence of discrete ascocarps, smooth, thick-walled, ovoid to oblate ascospores and characteristic, coarsely verrucose, loose peridial elements around the asci. Currah (1985) synonymized A. verruculosus with Gymnascella aurantiaca Peck, and the results of the present study confirmed this, with 99% ITS similarity between the type species.
Habitats of the species in this group mostly tended to be dung and soil, especially highly nutritional clay soil. The group contains halotolerant and thermotolerant species such as G. thermotolerans and G. stercorarius. Similarly, Petalosporus anodosus has been reported to grow more rapidly at 37 °C than at 30 °C (Kuehn et al. 1964a). Plunkettomyces littoralis, which is known to occur only in marine habitats, clustered in the same group. These findings might be a clue for a common halophilic ancestor of Group 9-I Gymnascella and Group 9-II Arachniotus, which contains species predominantly isolated from environments with high salt content.
The genus Pseudoarachniotus was introduced to include species without discrete ascomata and with a loose peridium, ascocarp initials and croziers, evanescent asci and ascospores in variable shapes (globose, ovoid, elliptical or lenticular) and colors (hyaline, red or shades of yellow) (Kuehn 1957). Although Kuehn did not consider Gymnascella with his description of Pseudoarachniotus, Currah (1985) placed several species previously described in Arachniotus and Pseudoarachniotus with oblate ascospores in Gymnascella. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these species can be united under the name Gymnascella based on ≥ 90% ITS similarity with the neotype of G. aurantiaca.
Type species: Gymnascella aurantiaca Peck, Ann. Rep. N.Y. St. Mus. nat. Hist. 35: 143 (1884) [1882].
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Gymnascella.
References
Currah RS 1985 – Taxonomy of the Onygenales: Arthrodermataceae, Gymnoascaceae, Myxotrichaceae and Onygenaceae. Mycotaxon 24:1–216.
Orr GF 1972 – Recovery of several arthroaleuriosporous fungi from mice following intraperitoneal inoculation. Technical Report Desert Test Center, Dugway, DTC Proj. No. TN‑72–542.
Entry by
Hazal Kandemir, Center of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Division of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, Adana, Turkey
Published online 25 June 2026