Fungalpedia – Note 2587, Psammina
Psammina Sacc. & M. Rousseau ex E. Bommer & M. Rousseau.
Citation when using this data: Meng QF et al. – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank
Classification: Capnodiales genera incertae sedis, Dothideomycetidae, Dothideomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Psammina was introduced by Bommer et al. (1890) to accommodate the saprobic species Psammina bommerae. This genus is characterized by colonies forming black, gelatinous sporodochia or large, subspherical, dark brown to black, dry mat-like conidia, either dispersed or agglomerated in dense groups. The mycelium is immersed, with pale brown, branched hyphae. Conidiophores are erect, straight, unbranched, and septate, with monoblastic, terminal conidiogenous cells. Conidia are acrogenous, multiseptate, and palmate, with numerous pale brown, smooth-walled arms (Bommer et al. 1890).
Species of Psammina exhibit diverse life strategies, including saprophytic, algicolous, lichenicolous, or lichenized lifestyles. To date, six facultative lichenicolous species are recognized, all of which are also capable of growing on green algae. In lichenicolous species, a distinct hymenial layer is absent, and colonies range from blackish, gelatinous sporodochia (e.g. P. filamentosa) to brownish agglomerations of dry, subspherical conidia (Diederich et al. 2024).
The sequence of P. bommerae (MH878435) is suspected to represent contamination by a Torula species and is therefore not considered reflective of the actual phylogenetic position of P. bommerae. Diederich et al. (2024) conducted a phylogenetic analysis using ITS, LSU and mtSSU sequences from six strains of three species, which indicated that this genus belongs to Capnodiales.
Type species: Psammina bommerae Sacc. & M. Rousseau (Bommer et al. 1890).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Psammina
References
Entry by
Meng QF, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand and School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou 563000, China
Published online 9 June 2026