Fungalpedia – Note 2180, Microsphaeropsis

 

Microsphaeropsis. Syd. & P. Syd.

Citation when using this data: Hongsanan S et al. 2020 – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank

Classification: Didymellaceae, Pleosporales, Pleosporomycetidae, Dothideomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi

 

Notes – Microsphaeropsis was introduced by von Höhnel (1917a). The familial placement of this genus has changed over last years from Phaeosphaeriaceae (Barr 1987b), to Didymosphaeriaceae (Zhang et al. 2012b, Thambugala et al. 2017a), and then to Didymellaceae (De Gruyter et al. 2013, Hyde et al. 2013) and finally to Microsphaeropsidaceae Chen et al. (2015). However, the taxonomic placement of this genus in Didymellaceae is debatable as Chen et al. (2015) mentioned this as basal to Didymellaceae and Wanasinghe et al. (2018b) showed this genus resides within the Didymellaceae. Similar results are observed in our analyses as well (data now shown). Furthermore, Microsphaeropsis species develop pale greenish brown, finely roughened conidia which are hyaline, smooth in many Didymellaceae species. Future studies are necessary to clarify the taxonomic identity and species boundaries. This genus comprises four species (Thambugala et al. 2018, Wanasinghe et al. 2018b).

 

Type species: Microsphaeropsis olivacea (Bonord.) Höhn. [as ‘olivaceus’], Hedwigia 59(5): 267 (1917).

≡ Coniothyrium olivaceum Bonord., in Fuckel, Jb. nassau. Ver. Naturk. 23-24: 377 (1870) [1869-70].

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Microsphaeropsis.

 

References

Chen Q, Jiang JR, Zhang GZ, Cai L, Crous PW. 2015 – Resolving the Phoma enigma. Studies in Mycology 82, 137–217.

De Gruyter J, Woudenberg JHC, Aveskamp AA, Verkley GJM et al. 2013 – Redisposition of phoma-like anamorphs in Pleosporales. Studies in Mycology 75, 1–36.

Hyde KD, Jones EBG, Liu J-K, Ariyawansa H et al. 2013 – Families of Dothideomycetes. Fungal Diversity 63, 1–313.

Thambugala KM, Daranagama DA, Phillips AJL, Bulgakov TS et al. 2017a – Microfungi on Tamarix. Fungal Diversity 82, 239–306.

Thambugala KM, Hyde KD, Camporesi E, Liu ZY. 2018 – Microsphaeropsis ononidicola sp. nov. (Microsphaeropsidaceae, Pleosporales) from Ononis spinosa L. Current Research in Environmental & Applied Mycology (Journal of Fungal Biology) 8, 217–223.

Wanasinghe DN, Jeewon R, Peršoh D, Jones EBG et al. 2018b – Taxonomic circumscription and phylogenetics of novel didymellaceous taxa with brown muriform spores. Studies in Fungi 3, 152–175.

Wanasinghe DN, Jeewon R, Peršoh D, Jones EBG et al. 2018b – Taxonomic circumscription and phylogenetics of novel didymellaceous taxa with brown muriform spores. Studies in Fungi 3, 152–175.

Zhang Y, Crous PW, Schoch CL, Hyde KD. 2012b – Pleosporales. Fungal Diversity 53, 1–221.

 

Entry by

Sinang Hongsanan, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People’s Republic of China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50002, Thailand

 

Published online 8 April 2026

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