Fungalpedia – Note 2819, Nannizziopsis
Nannizziopsis. Currah.
Citation when using this data: Kandemir H et al. 2022 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank
Classification: Nannizziopsidaceae, Onygenales, Eurotiomycetidae, Eurotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Rollandina vriesii (Apinis 1970) was described based on the description of the type species of the genus, namely, Rollandina capitata (Patouillard 1905; type specimen from green waste, Vietnam, in Herb. FH). However, re-examination of the type specimen of R. capitata yielded different descriptions by different researchers (Benjamin 1956; Apinis 1970). Von Arx (1971) considered the genus Rollandina to be doubtful because the type species is not known in pure culture. Currah (1985) followed von Arx, indicating Rollandina as a nomen confusum and proposed a new genus, Nannizziopsis, which was classified in Onygenaceae to accommodate R. vriesii.
Stchigel et al. (2013) combined the physiology, morphology and multilocus phylogeny of Nannizziopsis and several chrysosporium-like strains, mostly isolated from reptile habitats, and proposed a new family, Nannizziopsidaceae. The predominant reptile-associated ecology, combined with discrete, spherical ascomata with a peridium of loosely interwoven, hyaline hyphae; eight-spored, spherical asci; and thick-walled, smooth, hyaline ascospores (Stchigel et al. 2013), was suggestive of an independent evolutionary course. In the larger phylogeny of Onygenales, this family does not clearly form an individual entity separate from Onygenaceae.
The reptile-associated fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (ex-type culture: CBS 122913) (Sigler 2013), isolated from a granuloma of a black rat snake, was found to be remote from Nannizziopsis and Paranannizziopsis in Onygenaceae.
Type species: Nannizziopsis vriesii (Apinis) Currah— Mycotaxon 24: 164, 1985.
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Nannizziopsis.
References
Apinis AE 1970 – Concerning Rollandina. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 55(3):499–502.
Benjamin RK 1956 – A new genus of Gymnoascaceae with a review of the other genera. Aliso 3(3):301–328.
Currah RS 1985 – Taxonomy of the Onygenales: Arthrodermataceae, Gymnoascaceae, Myxotrichaceae and Onygenaceae. Mycotaxon 24:1–216.
Patouillard NT 1905 – Rollandina, nouveau genre de Gymnoascées. Bulletin Trimestriel de la Société Mycologique de France 21:81–83.
von Arx JA 1971 – On Arachniotus and related genera of the Gymnoascaceae. Persoonia 6(3):371–380.
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