Fungalpedia – Note 1982, Spathulosporaceae
Spathulosporaceae. Kohlm.
Citation when using this data: Hyde KD et al. 2020 – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank
Classification: Spathulosporaceae, Spathulosporales, Incertae sedis, Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota, Fungi
Parasitic on marine algae. Sexual morph: Ascomata subglobose, ovoid, pyriform, subiculate, coriaceous or leathery, dark brown, sterile hairs enclosing ascoma, ostiolate, ostiolar canal surrounded by tube-like projection extending into the ascomatal cavity, papillate or epapillate. Paraphyses lacking. Asci 8-spored, clavate to subglobose, thin-walled, unitunicate, without apical ring, deliquescing early. Ascospores overlapping multi-seriate, hyaline, fusiform, cylindrical or ellipsoidal, aseptate to 3-septate, with apical appendages. Reproductive structures: Antheridial. Spermatia ellipsoidal to fusiform, without appendages. Trichogynes simple or branched, septate, arising from the margin of young ascoma (adaped from Maharachchikumbura et al. 2016b).
Notes – Spathulosporaceae is characterized by crustose, dark thalli, peg-like individual penetrating cells, intracellular crusts and stromata, antheridia with spermatia and trichogynes, ostiolate ascomata without paraphyses, deliquescing asci, and 1-celled, appendaged ascospores. The genus was introduced by Cavaliere & Johnson (1965) and currently comprises Spathulospora and Retrostium with six species (Nakagiri & Ito 1997, Index Fungorum 2020, Jones et al. 2019). However, sequence data are available only for S. antarctica and S. adelpha. This family was first placed in Spathulosporales then so as to read and then in Lulworthia (Kohlmeyer 1973, Inderbitzin et al. 2004, Campbell et al. 2005, Jones et al. 2009). However, Maharachchikumbura et al. (2015, 2016b) confirmed the placement of Spathulosporaceae in Spathulosporales by molecular analysis using available sequence data. Spathulospora was introduced by Cavaliere & Johnson (1965) and referred to the Spathulosporomycetes, Spathulosporomycetidae (Locquin 1984), Spathulosporales (Kohlmeyer 1973), Spathulosporaceae (Kohlmeyer 1973). It is a marine genus on the seaweed Ballia spp. (Rhodophyta), and is typified by Spathulospora phycophila. However, two Spathulospora species (S. antarctica, S. adelpha), have shown a relationship to Lulworthiales, but with low support (Inderbitzin et al. 2004, Campbell et al. 2005, Jones et al. 2009, 2019). There are no sequences for the type of this genus, hence, new collections, isolations and sequencing are required to determine its phylogenetic placement.
Type genus: Spathulospora A.R. Caval. & T.W. Johnson.
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Spathulosporaceae.
References
Cavaliere AR, Johnson TW. 1965 – A new marine Ascomycete from Australia. Mycologia 57, 927.
Cavaliere AR, Johnson TW. 1965 – A new marine Ascomycete from Australia. Mycologia 57, 927.
Locquin M. 1984 – Mycologie générale et structurale 1–551.
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 11 March 2026