Fungalpedia – Note 2091, Paralophiostomataceae

 

Paralophiostomataceae V.V. Sarma & M. Niranjan

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

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.

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

Saprobic on dead and decaying twigs. Sexual morph: Ascomata perithecoid, scattered, carbonaceous, subglobose, immersed, clypeate, apical long slit-like ostiole, periphysate. Peridium thick with several layers of textura angularis cells. Hamathecium comprising numerous, filamentous, septate, branched, anastomosing pseudoparaphyses in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 8- spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, clavate to cylindrical, apically rounded with ocular chamber, long pedicellate. Ascospores overlapping 1-seriate, fusiform, hyaline to pale brown when young, brown to dark brown at maturity, 1-septate with a constriction when young, 3-septate with constrictions at maturity, central septum strongly constricted, uni-guttulate in each cell, obtuse ends with apical caps, each spore having one, supramedian cell, fully mature spores often splitting into part spores. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Notes: Paralophiostomaceae resembles Lophiostomataceae, however, it differs from Lophiostomataceae in having wide hysteriothecoid necks in ascomata, cylindrical asci and ascospores that split into part-spores at maturity. Considering septation of ascospores of Lophiostomataceae, out of 24 genera, only 5 genera (Alpestrisphaeria, Guttulispora, Neopaucispora, Parapaucispora and Paucispora) produce 3-sepatate brown ascospores (Thambugala et al. 2015b, Wanasinghe et al. 2018c, Tennakoon et al. 2018b, Hashimoto et al. 2018a). However, they lack sheaths or appendages whereas the new taxon, Paralophiostomaceae produces prominent appendages and a thin (incipient) mucilaginous sheath. The new family also differs from Lophiotremataceae in having longer pedicellate asci and brown ascospores, which split into part spores at maturity. Taxa belonging to Aigialaceae, Ligninsphaeriaceae, Lophiostomataceae and Lophiotremataceae have ascomata with slit-like ostioles. Future studies are needed to confirm whether a sub-order Lophiostomatoideae could be raised to include all those families of Pleosporales. In our phylogenetic analysis, Paralophiostomaceae forms a distinct family in Pleosporales. Thus, we introduce the new family Paralophiostomaceae based on the monotypic genus Paralophiostoma to be accommodated in Pleosporales.

Type genus: Paralophiostoma V.V. Sarma & M. Niranjan.

 

References

Hashimoto A, Hirayama K, Takahashi H, Matsumura M et al. 2018a – Resolving the Lophiostoma bipolare complex: Generic delimitations within Lophiostomataceae. Studies in Mycology 90, 161–189.

Tennakoon DS, Kuo C-H, Jeewon R, Thambugala KM, Hyde KD. 2018b – Saprobic Lophiostomataceae (Dothideomycetes): Pseudolophiostoma mangiferae sp. nov. and Neovaginatispora fuckelii, a new record from Mangifera indica. Phytotaxa 364, 157–171.

Thambugala KM, Hyde KD, Tanaka K, Tian Q et al. 2015b – Towards a natural classification and backbone tree for Lophiostomataceae, Floricolaceae, and Amorosiaceae fam.nov. Fungal Diversity 74, 199–266.

Wanasinghe DN, Phukhamsakda C, Hyde KD, Jeewon R et al. 2018c – Fungal diversity notes 709–839: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions to fungal taxa with an emphasis on fungi on Rosaceae. Fungal Diversity 89, 1–236.

 

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 25 March 2026

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