Fungalpedia – Note 2192, Helminthosporium
Helminthosporium Link
Citation when using this data: Afshari N et al. 2025 – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1
Classification: Massarinaceae, Pleosporales, Pleosporomycetidae, Dothideomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Helminthosporium is a hyphomyceteous genus that was erected by Link (1809), and typified by H. velutinum. Helminthosporium species are frequently saprobes and endophytes (Konta et al. 2021, Chen et al. 2022). However, H. solani is a significant global pathogen causing silver scurf disease in potatoes (Liu et al. 2022a). Currently, 327 species of this genus are accepted in Index Fungorum (2025), but only nearly 30 species have sequence data. Most Helminthosporium species are not congeneric with the generic type (Hu et al. 2023). By analysis of multiple loci of genes (combined ITS, LSU, SSU, and tef1-α sequence data), Konta et al. (2021) showed that Helminthosporium is polyphyletic. This was confirmed by Hu et al. (2023). The genus produces macronematous, cylindrical, septate, erect conidiophores with tretic conidiogenous cells and clavate or obclavate, distoseptate conidia with a flat, ringed pore at the base (Chen et al. 2022). In this study, we report Helminthosporium chiangraiense and H. erythrinicola as new records on Afzelia xylocarpa and Dalbergia cana, respectively, from Thailand.
Type species: Helminthosporium chiangraiense Boonmee, Huanraluek & K.D. Hyde.
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Helminthosporium.
Figure 1 – Helminthosporium chiangraiense (MFLU 24-0401, a new host record). a–c Colonies on Afzelia xylocarpa woody litter. d–f Conidiophores with conidiogenous cells. g, h Apical conidiophores and conidiogenesis. i–r Conidia. s A germinated conidium. t Colonies on PDA (front and reverse). Scale bars: a = 500 μm, b = 200 μm, c–f = 100 μm, g, h, k–s = 50 μm, i, j = 20 μm.
References
Link HF. 1809 – Observationes in Ordines plantarum naturales. Dissertatio prima complectens Anandrarum ordines Epiphytas, Mucedines, Gastromycos et Fungos. Gesellschaft Naturforschender 3, 3–42.
Entry by
Naghmeh Afshari, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Published online 24 March 2026