Fungalpedia – Note 2973, Planisphaeria
Planisphaeria J.F. Zhang, Jian K. Liu & K.D. Hyde.
Citation when using this data: Zhang JF et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.
Classification: Planisphaeriaceae, Planisphaeriales, Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Saprobic on dead branch of unidentified woody plant. Sexual morph: Ascomata perithecial, immersed to erumpent through the host tissue, broadly crack at the apex, gregarious or scattered, depressed subglobose to obpyriform, with a flattened base, coriaceous, dark brown to black, sometimes stained the substrate in brown to dark brown, ostiolate, clypeate. Ostiole central, lined with abundant, hypha-like, non-septate periphyses in ostiolar canal. Peridium composed of two strata, of outer stratum comprising thick-walled, red-brown to brown pseudoparenchymatous cells merging with host tissue, inner stratum of hyaline, thin-walled, elongated cells of textura angularis to prismatica. Hamathecium of filiform paraphyses, slightly longer than asci, dissolved or persistent at age. Asci unitunicate, 8-spored, broadly clavate, short pedicellate, apically round with or without apical rings. Ascospores overlapping bi- to tri-seriate, hyaline, non-septate, reniform or narrowly ovoid, rarely in irregular shapes, thick-walled, with or without mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.
Notes: Planisphaeria is introduced to accommodate two novel species P. karsti and P. reniformispora with the latter as the type species. Although these two taxa form an independent clade within subclass Sordariomycetidae and warrant establishment of the new family Planisphaeriaceae and new order Planisphaeriales, more fresh collections and molecular sequence data are needed to stabilize their placement.
Type species: Planisphaeria reniformispora J.F. Zhang & K.D. Hyde.
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Planisphaeria.
Figure 1 – Planisphaeria reniformispora (GZAAS 20-4004, holotype): a, b Appearance of ascomata on the substrate. c Vertical section through ascomata. d Ostiole with periphyses. e Section of peridium. f–h Asci. i–m Ascospores. Scale bars: c = 100 µm, d, f–h = 20 µm, e = 10 µm, i–m = 5 µm.
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 18 August 2026