Fungalpedia – Note 2835, Lunatochaeta
Lunatochaeta. W.P. Wu & Y.Z.
Citation when using this data: Wenping W et al. 2022 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1
Classification: Chaetosphaeriaceae, Chaetosphaeriales, Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Etymology: Refers to its lunate-shaped conidia and similarity with Dictyochaeta in producing setae.
Diagnosis: Similar to Dictyochaeta and Brachydictyochaeta in presence of setae, cylindrical conidiophores bearing terminal conidiogenous cells, funnel-shaped collarettes, and hyaline, falcate, asymmetrical, aseptate conidia without setulae, but are phylogenetically distinct. Morphologically it differs from Brachydictyochaeta in lacking of lateral phialides and the apex of setae are not swollen.
Colony effuse. Mycelium superficial and immersed, pale brown to brown, thick-walled, smooth, septate, from which setae and conidiophores are formed. Teleomorph: Unknown. Anamorph: Setae simple, erect, straight, brown, dark brown towards the base, fading to pale brown towards the apex, smooth, thick-walled, septate, basal cell swollen, apical cell sterile and obtuse or acute at the apex; basal cell thick-walled, swollen. Conidiophores arise in cluster and associated with setae, cylindrical, straight, or flexuous, brown, slightly paler towards the apex, thick-walled, smooth, septate, terminating by a conidiogenous cell. Conidiogenous cells integrated, terminal, monophialidic or polyphialidic, brown, smooth, thin-walled, cylindrical, subcylindrical, tapered to the apex, apex narrow with flared collarette. Conidia aggregated into slimy mass at the apex of the conidiogenous cells, hyaline, aseptate, smooth, thin walled, falcate, asymmetrical, typically curved, acerose, both ends attenuated and rounded, sometime slightly tapering towards one end, without setulate.
Ecology/Substrate/Host: Saprobe on dead leaves of broad leaf tree.
Geographical distribution: China.
Notes: Morphologically Lunatochaeta resembles Dictyochaeta s. str. And Brachydictyochaeta, but they are phylogenetically distinct.
Type species: Lunatochaeta shenzhenensis W.P. Wu & Y.Z. Diao, Fungal Diversity 116: 95 (2022).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Lunatochaeta.
Figure 1 – Lunatochaeta shenzhenensis (Wu17504, holotype). a–d Setaeand conidiophores in cluster. e, g Conidiophores and terminal phialidic conidiogenous cells. f Upper part of setae with obtuse apex. h–p conidia. Scale bar: a–d 20 μm, e–p 5 μm.
Entry by
Wenping Wu, R&D Center, Novozymes China, No. 14 Xin Xi Lu, Shangdi Zone, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, People’s Republic of China
Published online 20 July 2026