Fungalpedia – Note 3188, Sordariochalara
Sordariochalara. W.P. Wu & Y.Z. Diao.
Citation when using this data: Wenping Wu & Yongzhao Diao. 2023– Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank
Classification: Lasiosphaeriaceae, Sordariales, Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Etymology: Refers to its morphological similarity with Chalara, but phylogenetically belongs to Sordariomycetes. Endophytic in leaf and stem. Colonies effuse, olivaceous, velvety. Mycelium composed of hyaline or pigmented hyphae. Anamorph: Stroma absent. Setae absent. Conidiophores cylindrical, septate, medium to dark brown, smooth or verrucose, terminating in a phialide, often with sympodial proliferation. Phialides lageniform, pale brown, smooth, consisting of a venter and collarette, transition from venter to collarette abrupt; venter conical, subcylindrical; collarettes obconical, funnel-shaped. Conidia extruded in long chain, short clavate with apex rounded and base truncate, aseptate, hyaline, smooth-walled. Phragmospores produced holoblastically, arising from aerial and submerged hyphae, cylindrical, apex rounded, septate, medium to dark brown, solitary (Adapted from Carrie 1988). Teleomorph: Unknown.
Ecology/Substrate/Host: Endophytic fungi in leaf and stem.
Geographical distribution: USA.
Notes: The phylogenetic analyses of this study showed that Chalara vaccinii was not a member of Leotiomycetes. Supported by both morphology and very low homology with any other known member of Sordariomycetes, the new genus is created for this fungus. Morphologically it differs from other Chalara s. lat. species by its phialides with very short collarettes and clavate-shaped conidia (Nag Raj and Kendrick 1975; McKenzie et al. 2002). In a megablast search of GenBank nucleotide database, the closest hits (94% identity) using the partial LSU sequence from the ex-type strain were members of Arcoilus, Anopodium, Arnium, Bombardia, Bombardioidea, Naviculispora in Lasiosphaeriaceae (Sordariales). Morphologically none of these genera is similar with Sordariochalara.
Type species: Sordariochalara vaccinii (Carris) W.P. Wu & Y.Z. Diao, Fungal Diversity 119: 472 (2023)
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Sordariochalara.
References
Carris LM 1988 – Chalara vaccinii sp. nov., a Vaccinium endophyte. Mycologia 80:875–879.
Entry by
Wenping Wu, R&D Center, Novozymes China, No. 14 Xin Xi Lu, Shangdi Zone, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, People’s Republic of China
Published online 10 September 2026