Fungalpedia – Note 2803, Paraxylaria
Paraxylaria. Wanas., E.B.G. Jones, Gafforov & K.D. Hyde.
Citation when using this data: Samarakoon MC et al. 2021 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1
Classification: Coniocessiaceae, Xylariales, Xylariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Paraxylaria was introduced by Wanasinghe et al. (2018) to accommodate Pa. rosacearum, a saprobe on trunks and branches of Rosa sp. from Uzbekistan. Paraxylaria has asci with J+, apical ring and uniseriate, ellipsoid, mostly symmetrical, aseptate, brown ascospores, which lack germ slits (Wanasinghe et al. 2018). We re-examined the holotype and observed germ pores in ascospores of Pa. rosacearum (Wanasinghe et al. 2018). Molecular phylogeny also supported Paraxylaria as a basal clade, but distinct from Coniocessia in Coniocessiaceae.
Kirschstein (1934) introduced Amphisphaerella to accommodate Amp. amphisphaerioides. Amphisphaerella was introduced to accommodate a micro-fungal group, which is characterised by immersed to semi-immersed ascomata, often beneath a clypeus, globose to subglobose in section, 8-spored, cylindrical, pedicellate asci with apically rounded, J+/J-, apical rings and ellipsoidal, brown, aseptate ascospores with two to six germ pores arranged equatorially or scattered or in groups towards the poles (Kirschstein 1934; Barr 1994). However, this introduction is invalid according to the Art. 53.1 since Hennings (1902) introduced Amphisphaerella with the type of Amp. hypoxyloides. Petrini (2013) synonymised and accepted the monospecific Amphisphaerella (Amp. hypoxyloides) in Rosellinia (Ro. hypoxyloides) based on morphology. Only the invalidly published Amphisphaerella has been considered thereafter. Munk (1953) proposed Amphisphaerellaceae for Amphisphaerella. However, Eriksson (1966), Barr (1990) and Lumbsch and Huhndorf (2010) retained Amphisphaerella in Amphisphaeriaceae until more information was available. There are 13 Amphisphaerella epithets that have been accepted. Lu and Hyde (2000) observed that the holotype of Amp. dispersella and ascospores with germ pores are identified as a unique character of the genus. Here we accept Paraxylaria as the valid name to accommodate species similar to Amphisphaerella.
Type species: Paraxylaria rosacearum Wanas., Gafforov, E.B.G. Jones & K.D. Hyde, in Wanasinghe et al., Fungal Diversity 89: 202 (2018).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Paraxylaria.
Figure 1 – Paraxylaria xylostei (MFLU 17-1636). a Substrate, b,c Ascomata in dead substrate. d Section through ascoma. e Peridium. f Paraphyses. g–l Asci (g in Melzer’s reagent, white arrows show germ pores). m Apical ring blueing in Melzer’s reagent. n–s Ascospores. Scale bars: a–c = 1000 μm, d = 100 μm, e,h–l = 20 μm, g,m–s = 10 μm, f = 5 μm.
References
Barr ME 1994 – Notes on the Amphisphaeriaceae and related families. Mycotaxon 51:191–224.
Hennings P 1902 – Fungi blumenavienses II. Hedwigia 41:1–33.
Munk A 1953 – The system of the Pyrenomycetes: a contribution to a natural classi cation of the group Sphacriales sensu Lindau., Dansk bota. Copenhagen.
Entry by
Milan C. Samarakoon, School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P.R.
China
Published online 19 June 2026