Fungalpedia – Note 3090, Penicillifer
Penicillifer Emden, Acta bot. neerl. 17: 54 (1968).
Citation when using this data: Perera RH et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.
Classification: Nectriaceae, Hypocreales, Hypocreomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Saprobic on decaying woody substrates, sometimes isolated from plant roots and soil. Sexual morph: Ascomata astromatic, superficial on the substrate, solitary, globose to pyriform, red, orange-brown, tan, or brown, KOH-/+ red, surface coarsely warted or glabrous. Paraphyses lacking. Asci clavate, with a simple apex. Ascospores 1-septate, green or pale yellow to yellowish green, smooth-walled. Asexual morph: Conidiophores erect, solitary, septate, unbranched and monophialidic, or with a biverticillate penicillus, hyaline. Conidiogenous cells phialidic, cylindrical, tip with periclinal thickening, with a usually tubular not flared collarette. Conidia cylindrical to somewhat naviculate, with blunt papilla at one or both ends, 1-septate, hyaline, smooth-walled (adapted from Rossman et al. 1999; Lombard et al. 2015).
Known distribution: Worldwide (Van Emden 1968; Samuels 1989; Rossman et al. 1999)
Notes: Penicillifer was introduced by Van Emden (1968) to accommodate a hyphomycetous species P. pulcher isolated from soil. Lombard et al. (2015) proposed to protect the widely used older name Penicillifer over Viridispora, which was followed by Rossman et al. (2016).
Type species: Penicillifer pulcher Emden, Acta bot. neerl. 17: 54 (1968).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Penicillifer.
References
Rossman AY, Samuels GJ, Rogerson CT et al. 1999 — Genera of Bionectriaceae, Hypocreaceae and Nectriaceae (Hypocreales, Ascomycetes). Stud Mycol 42:1–248.
Samuels GJ 1989 – Nectria and Penicillifer. Mycologia 81:347–355.
Van Emden JH 1968 – Penicillifer, a new genus of Hyphomycetes from soil. Acta Bot Neerl 17:54–58.
Entry by
Perera RH, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou 550006, P. R. China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand.
Published online 4 September 2026.