Fungalpedia – Note 2643, Haleomyces

 

Haleomyces D. Hawksw. & Essl.

Citation when using this data: Meng QF et al. – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.

Classification: Verrucariaceae, Verrucariales, Chaetothyriomycetidae, Eurotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.

Haleomyces was introduced by Hawksworth et al. (1993) to accommodate the only lichenicolous species H. oropogonicola, which grows on the fruticose lichen Oropogon lopezii on the tree. Haleomyces is characterized by subgolobose to ovoid ascomata that are brown to black, ostiolate, aggregated into a common stroma. It has a multilayered exciple and tends to exhibit periphysoidal periphyses. The asci are subcylindrical to elongate-clavate, not fissitunicate, and contain 8 spores. The ascospores are hyaline, more or less fusiform, 1-septate and irregularly distichous (Hawksworth et al. 1993). 

Due to Haleomyces exhibiting an unusual combination of characters, Hawksworth tentatively referred to this genus as Verrucariales but did not specify a family. Lumbsch (2007, 2010) placed this genus within Verrucariaceae, albeit with a question mark. Wijayawardene et al. (2018, 2020, 2022) accepted the placement of this genus in Verrucariaceae (Verrucariales). To date, no molecular data of this genus are available in GenBank, so the precise systemic location of this genus will require further study when molecular data become available.

Type species: Haleomyces oropogonicola D. Hawksw. & Essl., on Oropogon lopezii Essl. (Hawksworth et al. 1993).

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Haleomyces.

Figure 1 – Haleomyces oropogonicola redrawn from Hawksworth et al. (1993). a Vertical section of stroma on host thallus. b Vertical section of perithecium. c Asci. d Ascospores. Scale bars: b = 50 μm, c, d = 10 μm.

 

References

Hawksworth DL, Esslinger. 1993 – Haleomyces oropogonicola, a New Pyrenocarpous Lichenicolous Genus and Species on Oropogon lopezii in the Neotropics. The Bryologist 96 (3), 349–354.

.Lumbsch HT, Huhndorf SM. 2007 – Outline of Ascomycota—2007. Myconet 13, 1–58.

Lumbsch HT, Huhndorf SM. 2010 – Myconet Volume 14. Part one. Outline of Ascomycota—2009. Part two. Notes on ascomycete systematics. Nos. 4751–5113. Fieldiana Life Earth Science 1, 1–64.

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde K, Al-Ani L, Tedersoo L et al. 2020 – Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa. Mycosphere 11 (1), 1060–1456.

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde KD, Dai D-Q, Sanchez-Garcia M et al. 2022 – Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa – 2021. Mycosphere 13 (1), 53–453.

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde KD, Lumbsch HT, Liu JK et al. 2018 – Outline of Ascomycota: 2017. Fungal Diversity 88 (1), 167–263.

 

Entry by

Meng QF, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand and School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou 563000, China.

 

Published online 25 June 2026

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