Fungalpedia – Note 2976, Stellatus
Stellatus J.F. Zhang & K.D. Hyde.
Citation when using this data: Zhang JF et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.
Classification: Xylariaceae, Xylariales, Xylariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Saprobic on dead leaves of woody plant. Sexual morph: Ascomata scattered, solitary to gregarious, dark brown to black, globose to subglobose, immersed to erumpent, coriaceous, ostiolate, appeared as irregular stellate in substrate surface. Peridium composed of several layers of brown, thick-walled cells of textura angularis to prismatica. Hamathecium of numerous, septate paraphyses that anastomosing between and above the asci. Asci 8-spored, cylindric-clavate, unitunicate, short-pedicellate. Ascospores overlapping uni- to bi-seriate, ellipsoidal inequilaterally with narrowly round ends, non-septate, chocolate or dark brown, with germ slit straight that running along with the entire spore-length, associated with a mucilaginous appendage at both ends. Asexual morph: Undetermined.
Notes: Stellatus is placed as an independent clade within Xylariaceae with moderate bootstrap support (Zhang JF et al. 2023). The gross morphological characteristics of Stellatus corresponds to Xylariaceae, but it differs from the known genera by its uni-loculate, non-stromatic ascomata that appear stellate in substrate surface, and the ascospores have a mucilaginous appendage at each end.
Type species: Stellatus guizhouensis J.F. Zhang & K.D. Hyde.
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Stellatus.
Figure 1 – Stellatus guizhouensis (GZAAS 20-4002, holotype): a Appearance of ascomata on the substrate. b Vertical section through ascomata. c, d Paraphyses anastomosing between the asci. e Section of Peridium. f Ascospores with germ slit. g–i Ascospores. Scale bars b = 200 µm, c, d = 20 µm, e–i = 10 µm.
References
Entry by
Jinfeng Zhang, Guizhou Provincial Institute of Tea, Guiyang 550006, People’s Republic of China, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, People’s Republic of China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.
Published online 18 August 2026