Fungalpedia – Note 1936, Plectosphaerellaceae

 

Plectosphaerellaceae W. Gams, Summerb. & Zare

Citation when using this data: Hyde KD et al. 2020 – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.

Classification: Glomerellales, Hypocreomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi

Saprobic on dead plant material or in soil and water, or pathogenic on plants or animal or mycoparasitic on fungi. Sexual morph: Ascomata perithecial or cleistothecial, superficial, brown to dark brown, subglobose to pyriform or globose, with elongate neck, with or without setae around the base of the neck. Peridium multi-layered, composed of dark brown cells of textura angularis. Paraphyses conspicuous in young ascomata or absent. Asci 8-spored, unitunicate, cylindrical, clavate or saccate, without an apical ring. Ascospores irregularly arranged, hyaline or pale brown, fusiform or ellipsoidal or ovoid, 1-celled or 2-celled, wall asperulate or smooth. Asexual morph: Hyphomycetous or coelomycetous. Conidiomata synnematous, sporodochial or acervular when present. Conidiophores simple or branched, hyaline or centrally pale brown or pale olivaceous. Conidiophores cells blastic or phialidic, hyaline, some become orange-brown or olivaceous-brown, partly melanized, verticillate or single, pigmented chlamydospores and microsclerotia formed by some species. Conidia aggregated in slimy heads, hyaline or pigmented, shapes variable (ranging from subglobose to oval or cylindrical, slightly curved, or fusiform with pointed ends), 1–2-celled, smooth-walled (adapted from Maharachchikumbura et al. 2016b, Giraldo & Crous 2019)

Notes: Plectosphaerellaceae was introduced by Zare et al. (2007) typified by Plectosphaerella (Zare et al. 2007, Kirk et al. 2008). The family is referred to Glomerellales by 802 Maharachchikumbura et al. (2016b). Based on Maharachchikumbura et al. (2016b), there are nine genera accepted and listed in the family (Zare et al. 2007, Kirk et al. 2007, Réblová et al. 2011, Cannon et al. 2012a, Wijayawardene et al. 2012, Grum-Grzhimaylo et al. 2013, 2016, Hirooka et al. 2014, Maharachchikumbura et al. 2015, 2016b). Brunneomyces was introduced and typified by Brunneomyces brunnescens (Giraldo et al. 2017b). Based on phylogenetic analyses of a combined LSU, SSU, ITS and tef1 sequence data and the difference in morphology, Longitudinalis (Hyde et al. 2017b) and Acremoniisimulans (Tibpromma et al. 2018) were introduced in Plectosphaerellaceae. Giraldo & Crous (2019) introduced another 12 genera in Plectosphaerellaceae based on phylogenetic analyses with a combined LSU, SSU, ITS, tef1, tryptophan synthase (ts), act and rpb2 dataset and their unique morphology. Currently, 24 genera are recognized in the Plectosphaerellaceae viz. Acremoniisimulans, Acrostalagmus, Brunneomyces, Brunneochlamydosporium, Chlamydosporiella, Chordomyces, Furcasterigmium, Fuscohypha, Gibellulopsis, Lectera, Longitudinalis, Musicillium, Musidium, Nigrocephalum, Paragibellulopsis, Paramusicillium, Phialoparvum, Plectosphaerella, Sayamraella, Stachylidium, Sodiomyces, Summerbellia, Theobromium and Verticillium sensu stricto. The placement of Cephalosporium serrae, Gliocladium cibotii and several Acremonium species remains unresolved, but are presently included in Plectosphaerellaceae.

Type genus: Plectosphaerella Kleb.

 

References

Cannon PF, Buddie AG, Bridge PD, de Neergaard E et al. 2012a – Lectera, a new genus of the Plectosphaerellaceae for the legume pathogen Volutella colletotrichoides. MycoKeys 3, 23–36.

Giraldo A, Crous PW. 2019 – Inside Plectosphaerellaceae. Studies In Mycology 92, 227–286.

Giraldo A, Gené J, Sutton DA, Wiederhold N, Guarro J. 2017b – New acremonium-like species in the Bionectriaceae and Plectosphaerellaceae. Mycol Pro 16, 349–368.

Grum-Grzhimaylo AA, Debets AJM, van Diepeningen AD, Georgieva ML, Bilanenko EN. 2013 – Sodiomyces alkalinus, a new holomorphic alkaliphilic ascomycete within the Plectosphaerellaceae. Persoonia: Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi 31, 147–158.

Grum-Grzhimaylo AA, Georgieva ML, Bondarenko SA, Debets AJ, Bilanenko EN. 2016 – On the diversity of fungi from soda soils. Fungal Diversity 76, 27–74.

Hirooka Y, Kawaradani M, Sato T. 2014 – Description of Gibellulopsis chrysanthemi sp. nov. from leaves of garland chrysanthemum. Mycological progress 13, 13–19.

Hyde KD, Norphanphoun C, Abreu VP, Bazzicalupo A et al. 2017b – Fungal diversity notes 603–708: taxonomic and phylogenetic notes on genera and species. Fungal Diversity 87, 1–235.

Kirk PM, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA. 2008 – Dictionary of the Fungi 10th edn. CABI, Wallingford.

Maharachchikumbura SSN, Hyde KD, Jones EBG, McKenzie EHC et al. 2015 – Towards a natural classification and backbone tree for Sordariomycetes. Fungal Diversity 72, 199–301.

Maharachchikumbura SSN, Hyde KD, Jones EBG, McKenzie EHC et al. 2016b – Families of Sordariomycetes. Fungal Diversity 79, 1–317.

Réblová M, Gams W, Seifert KA. 2011 – Monilochaetes and allied genera of the Glomerellales, and a reconsideration of families in the Microascales. Studies in Mycology 68, 163–191.

Tibpromma S, Hyde KD, McKenzie EHC, Bhat DJ et al. 2018 – Fungal diversity notes 840–928: micro-fungi associated with Pandanaceae. Fungal Diversity 93, 1–160.

Wijayawardene NN, McKenzie EHC, Hyde KD. 2012 – Towards incorporating anamorphic fungi in a natural classification–checklist and notes for 2011. Mycosphere 3, 157–228.

Zare R, Gams W, Starink-Willemse M, Summerbell RC. 2007 – Gibellulopsis, a suitable genus for Verticillium nigrescens, and Musicillium, a new genus for V. theobromae. Nova Hedwigia 85, 463–489.

 

Entry by

Kevin David Hyde, Institute of Plant Health, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 510225, P.R. China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, 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, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, P.R. China, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, World Agroforestry Centre, East and Central Asia, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, P.R. China

 

Published online 5 March 2026

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