Fungalpedia – Note 1956, Pyriculariaceae
Pyriculariaceae Klaubauf, M.-H. Lebrun & Crous
Citation when using this data: Hyde KD et al. 2020 – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.
Classification: Magnaporthales, Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Pathogenic or saprobic on various plant hosts, commonly on monocotyledons. Sexual morph: Ascomata perithecial, immersed, solitary, scattered or gregarious, black, coriaceous, with long cylindrical necks, covered in setae. Peridium brown to dark brown, comprising several layers of textura angularis. Paraphyses septate, intermingled among asci. Asci 8-spored, unitunicate, subcylindrical, short pedicellate, with a large, J+, apical ring. Ascospores overlapping 2–3-seriate, ellipsoid to obclavate, fusiform, with 3 septa, often with median cells pigmented, pale brown. Asexual morph: Hyphomycetous. Conidiophores solitary or in fascicles, subcylindrical, erect, olivaceous, pale brown or brown, branched or unbranched. Conidiogenous cells holoblastic, polyblastic, integrated, pigmented, denticulate. Conidia hyaline to brown, pyriform to elliptical, 1– 5-transversely septate, in some genera with apical mucoid appendages (adapted from Klaubauf et al. 2014).
Notes – Klaubauf et al. (2014) introduced Pyriculariaceae as a sister family to the Ophioceraceae, and accepted two genera Deightoniella and Pyricularia in Pyriculariaceae, and introduced seven genera (viz. Bambusicularia, Barretomyces, Macgarvieomyces, Neopyricularia, Proxipyricularia, Pseudopyricularia, Xenopyricularia) based on morphology and phylogenetic analyses. DNA replication licensing factor (MCM7) and calmodulin (calM) genes were used as a phylogenetic marker for some genera by Pordel et al. (2015, 2017). Hernández-Restrepo et al. (2015b) established Neocordana, a new genus in Pyriculariaceae. Wijayawardene et al. (2017a, 2018a) accepted ten genera in Pyriculariaceae. It is difficult to identify some of these genera in this family without molecular data. We illustrate both morphs of Pyricularia with line diagrams and describe and illustrate a new collection of Deightoniella africana.
Type genus: Pyricularia Sacc.
References
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 6 March 2026