Fungalpedia – Note 3160, Helicofilia
Helicofilia Matsush., Matsushima Mycological Memoirs 3: 11 (1983).
Citation when using this data: Jian Ma et al. 2024 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.
Classification: Incertae sedis, Incertae sedis, Incertae sedis, Incertae sedis, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Notes: Helicofilia was established by Matsushima (1983), with H. madrasensis as the type species. Helicofilia comprises two species: H. irregularis (formerly known as Helicoma irregulare) and H. madrasensis, which were found from dead wood, Cocos nucifera and Pseudowintera colorata in China, Great Britain and India (Matsushima 1983; Kirk and Spooner 1984; Zhao et al. 2007). Helicofilia is characterized by miconematous conidiophores (Conidiophores are sometimes absent), monoblastic, determinate, integrate conidiogenous cells, and irregularly spiral or convolute fuscous, non-hygroscopic, septate conidia that are constricted at the septa, and comprising one- or more lateral helicoid branched secondary conidial filaments (Matsushima 1983; Zhao et al. 2007). Helicofilia madrasensis resembles Zalerion maritima in having helicoid, non-hygroscopic, septate, constricted at the septa conidia. However, H. madrasensis can be easily distinguished from Z. maritima by its irregularly branched helicoid conidia (Barghoorn and Linder 1944; Matsushima 1983).
Type species: Helicofilia madrasensis Matsush., Matsushima Mycological Memoirs 3: 11 (1983).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Helicofilia.
Figure 1 – (a) Goosiella helicospora (redrawn from Seifert et al. (2011)); (b) Helicoceras celtidis (redrawn from Linder (1931b)); (c) Helicofilia madrasensis (redrawn from Seifert et al. (2011)); (d) Helicogoosia paradoxa redrawn from (Seifert et al. (2011))
References
Barghoorn ES, Linder DH. 1944 – Marine fungi: their taxonomy and biology. Farlowia 1(3):395–467.
Matsushima T. 1983 – Matsushima Mycological Memoirs 3: 1–90. Matsushima Fungus Collection, Kobe, Japan.
Zhao G, Liu X, Wu W. 2007 – Helicosporous hyphomycetes from China. Fungal Diversity 26:313–524.
Entry by
Jian Ma, School of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550003, P.R. 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.
Published online 11 September 2026