Fungalpedia – Note 2951, Ophiosphaerella

 

Ophiosphaerella Speg.

Citation when using this data: Zhang JF et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia. 

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

Classification: Phaeosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales, Pleosporomycetidae, Dothideomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.

Ophiosphaerella, which first appeared with the type species O. graminicola (Spegazzini 1909), was validly published with a generic description by Stafleu et al. (1972). Petrak and Sydow (1936) synonymized O. graminicola with Ophiobolus graminicolus, and synonymized Ophiosphaerella under Ophiobolus. However, Walker (1980) maintained Ophiosphaerella as a separate genus that differs from Ophiobolus by its ascospores without swollen cells and not separating into part spores. More recently, a series of phylogenetic analysis were carried out on Ophiosphaerella (Wetzel et al. 1999; Schoch et al. 2006, 2009a; Zhang et al. 2009, 2012b; Hyde et al. 2013). Phookamsak et al. (2014) revised the family Phaeosphaeriaceae and indicated that Ophiosphaerella seems to be polyphyletic, however, available sequence data for this genus is limited in GenBank. Currently, 12 species are recognized in Ophiosphaerella (Index Fungorum 2023).

Type species: Ophiosphaerella agrostidis Dern., M.P.S. Câmara, N.R. O’Neill, Berkum & M.E. Palm.

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Ophiosphaerella.

 

Figure 1 – Ophiosphaerella agrostidis (MFLU 18-2272): a, b Appearance of ascomata on the substrate. c Vertical section through ascoma. d Section of peridium. e Pseudoparaphyses. f, g Asci. h Arrangement of ascospores. i, j Ascospores. ­­­Scale bars: c = 200 μm, d, f, g = 20 μm, e = 5 μm, h, i, j = 30 μm.

 

References

Hyde KD, Jones EBG, Liu JK, Ariyawansa H et al. 2013 – Families of Dothideomycetes. Fungal Divers 63:1–313.

Petrak F, Sydow H. 1936 – Kritisch-systematische Originaluntersuchungen über Pyrenomyzeten, Sphaeropsideen und Melanconieen. VII. Annal Mycol 34:11–52.

Phookamsak R, Liu JK, McKenzie EHC, Manamgoda DS et al. 2014 – Revision of Phaeosphaeriaceae. Fungal Divers 68:159–238.

Schoch CL, Crous PW, Groenewald JZ, Boehm EWA et al. 2009a – A class–wide phylogenetic assessment of Dothideomycetes. Stud Mycol 64:1–15. 

Schoch CL, Shoemaker RA, Seifert KA, Hambleton S et al. 2006 – A multigene phylogeny of the Dothideomycetes using four nuclear loci. Mycologia 98:1042–1052.

Spegazzini C. 1909 – Ophiosphaerella. Anales del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural Buenos Aires 19:401 [ser. 3, 12].

Stafleu FA, Bonner CEB, McVaugh R, Meikle R et al. 1972 – International code of botanical nomenclature. Utrecht, Netherlands, 426.

Walker J. 1980 – Gaeumannomyces, Linocarpon, Ophiobolus and several other genera of scolecospored ascomycetes and Phialophora conidial states, with a note on hyphopodia. Mycotaxon 11:1–129.

Wetzel HC, Hulbert SH, Tisserat NA. 1999 – Molecular evidence for the presence of Ophiosphaerella narmarin. comb., a cause of spring dead spot of bermuda grass, in north America. Mycol Res 103:981–989.

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

Zhang Y, Schoch CL, Fournier J, Crous PW et al. 2009 – Multi-locus phylogeny of Pleosporales: a taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary re-evaluation. Stud Mycol 64:85–102.

 

Entry by

Jinfeng Zhang, Guizhou Provincial Institute of Tea, Guiyang 550006, People’s Republic of China, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, People’s Republic of China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.

 

Published online 14 August 2026

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