Fungalpedia – Note 2809, Malbrancheaceae
Malbrancheaceae. Kandemir & de Hoog.
Citation when using this data: Kandemir H et al. 2022 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank
Classification: Onygenales, Eurotiomycetidae, Eurotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
The members of the genera Auxarthron and Malbranchea were placed in Clade 6 with 100% support in all phylogenetic analyses but formed an unsupported clade (40% bootstrap support) in ITS Group II analysis. The genus Auxarthron has been described with mesh-like gymnothecia, well-differentiated thick-walled peridial hyphae with knuckle-joint septal enlargements (usually in 1‒3 septa) (except A. concentricum, which lacks both knuckle joints and peridial appendages), punctate ascospores and an asexual morph in Malbranchea (Orr et al. 1963a; Currah 1985; Sigler et al. 2002a; Sarrocco et al. 2015). The genus was classified as a monophyletic group in Onygenaceae (Currah 1985; Sarrocco et al. 2015; Rodríguez-Andrade et al. 2021). However, in the present study, the group was considered a separate family because this monophyletic group was found to be distant from the type species of Onygenaceae. Members of the family can be found in eutrophic environments enriched by dung, such as in cave soil, or on animal dung. During the present study, Rodríguez-Andrade et al. (2021) synonymized Auxarthron with Malbranchea based on the phylogenetic analysis of the concatenated ITS-LSU sequences, and the same authors provided an identification key for the species in the genus.
Type genus: Malbranchea Sacc., Michelia 2(no. 8): 639 (1882).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Malbrancheaceae.
References
Orr GF, Kuehn HH, Plunkett OA 1963a – Auxarthron and its Malbranchea state. Mycologia 55:742–757.
Rodríguez‑Andrade E, Cano J, Stchigel AM et al. 2021 – Phylogenetic reassessment of Auxarthron and Malbranchea: synonymization and identification key. Fungal Diversity 109:1–25.
Sarrocco S, Vergara C, Nicoletti F et al. 2015 – Ecology and pathogenic potential of Malbranchea species. Fungal Biology 119:123–134.
Sigler L, Carmichael JW, Currah RS 2002a – New species and records of Auxarthron and Malbranchea. Mycologia 94:193–202.
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