Fungalpedia – Note 234, Neophysalospora

 

Neophysalospora Crous & M.J. Wingf.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig. 1

Citation when using this entry: Li et al. 2024 (in prep) – Fungalpedia, Xylariomycetidae. 

Classification: Clypeophysalosporaceae, Amphisphaeriales, Xylariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota, Fungi

Neophysalospora was established by Crous et al. (2014) based on morphology and phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS and LSU sequence data to accommodate N. eucalypti as the type species. It is an endophytic and plant pathogenic fungus associated with brown leaf spots of Corymbia henryi (Myrtaceae) in Mozambique. Additionally, it causes cutting rot in the nurseries of Eucalyptus grandis × camaldulensis (Myrtaceae) in South Africa (Crous et al. 2014). Neophysalospora has globose ascomata, which are solitary, brown, and immersed, with a central ostiole. Asci are cylindrical, stipitate, with an apical ring and fusoid-ellipsoid ascospores, with acutely rounded ends (Crous et al. 2014). The genus has coelomycetous asexual morphs, which are characterized by globose, solitary to aggregated, brown, central ostiole conidiomata and subcylindrical conidiophores, straight to curved, branched, septate, or reduced to conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells are ampulliform to subcylindrical, hyaline, smooth, terminal or intercalary, and phialidic with flared collarette at the apex. Conidia are solitary, hyaline, subcylindrical, curved, with an obtuse apex and truncate bases (Crous et al. 2014). Previously, this genus was classified within Hypocreomycetidae, order incertae sedis (Crous et al. 2014). However, based on phylogenetic analyses of LSU sequence data, Giraldo et al. (2017) assigned Neophysalospora to Clypeophysalosporaceae, Amphisphaeriales, Xylariomycetidae (Sordariomycetes). This classification has been followed by Wijayawardene et al. (2020, 2022), and Hyde et al. (2020). The divergence of Clypeophysalosporaceae was estimated to be 62 MYA (Hongsanan et al. 2017). This genus is monotypic (Species Fungorum 2024). 

Type species: Neophysalospora eucalypti Crous & M.J. Wingf.

Figure 1 – Neophysalospora eucalypti (holotype, CBS H-21996). a Corymbia henryi leaves associated with brown leaf spots. b Asci and ascospores. c Germinating ascospores. d Conidiogenous cells. e Conidia. Scale bars: b–e = 10 µm. Redrawn from Crous et al. (2014).

 

References

Crous PW, Wingfield MJ, Schumacher RK, Summerell BA et al. 2014 – Fungal Planet description sheets: 281–319. Persoonia 33, 212–289. 

Giraldo A, Crous PW, Schumacher RK, Cheewangkoon R et al. 2017 – The genera of fungi—G3: Aleurocystis, Blastacervulus, Clypeophysalospora, Licrostroma, Neohendersonia and Spumatoria. Mycological Progress 16, 1–24. 

Hongsanan S, Maharachchikumbura SSN, Hyde KD, Samarakoon MC et al. 2017 – An updated phylogeny of Sordariomycetes based on phylogenetic and molecular clock evidence. Fungal Diversity 84, 25–41. 

Hyde KD, Norphanphoun C, Maharachchikumbura SSN, Bhat DJ et al. 2020 – Refined families of Sordariomycetes. Mycosphere 11(1), 305–1059. 

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde KD, Al-Ani LKT, Tedersoo L et al. 2020 – Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa. Mycosphere 11, 1060–1456. 

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde KD, Dai DQ, Sánchez-García M et al. 2022 – Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa – 2021. Mycosphere 13, 53–453. 

 

 

Entry by 

Yanxia Li and Mingkwan Doilom, Innovative Institute for Plant Health/ Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, China.

 

(Edited by Kevin D Hyde, Mingkwan Doilom, Samaneh Chaharmiri-Dokhaharani, & Achala R. Rathnayaka)

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