Fungalpedia – Note 3127, Zalerion
Zalerion R.T. Moore & Meyers, Canad. J. Microbiol. 8: 408 (1962).
Citation when using this data: Jian Ma et al. 2024 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.
Classification: Lulworthiaceae, Lulworthiales, Lulworthiomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Notes: Zalerion was initially described by Moore and Meyers (1962) to accommodate four marine species: Z. eistla, Z. nepura (type species), Z. raptor and Z. xylestrix, based on their physiological race differences. Subsequently, Helicoma maritimum, H. salinum, Zalerion eistla, Z. nepura, Z. raptor and Z. xylestrix were identified as synonyms of Z. maritima (Barghoorn and Linder 1944; Anastasiou 1963; Zhao et al. 2007), with the latter designated as the type species. Zalerion arboricola, Z. guadalupensis, Z. longispiralis and Z. varia were transferred to Lophium arboricola, Microthyrium guadalupense, Inesiosporium longispirale and Halenospora varia, respectively (Index Fungorum 2024). Currently, Zalerion comprises four species: Zalerion maritima, Z. pseudomaritima, Z. sachidanandii and Z. thermophylli, which were found from freshwater, marine, and terrestrial habitats (Anastasiou 1963; Udaiyan 1991; Goncalves et al. 2021; Index Fungorum 2024). Zalerion is characterized by micronematous or semi-macronematous, loosely branched or unbranched, straight or flexuous, hyaline or brown, smooth or verruculose conidiophores, monoblastic, integrated, determinate, cylindrical, doliiform or clavate conidiogenous cells that mostly occur terminally, and solitary, helicoid conidia (Zhao et al. 2007). Zalerion shares similarities with Cirrenalia and Cumulospora in having irregularly and tightly coiled, multi-septate, and muriform conidia (Kohlmeyer et al. 1997; Chatmala et al. 2004). However, the conidia of Cirrenalia differ from those of Zalerion in having larger diameter and pigmentation from the base to the apex, whereas Cumulospora produces more muriform conidia (Zhao et al. 2007).
Type species: Zalerion maritima (Linder) Anastasiou, Canadian Journal of Botany 41 (8): 1136 (1963).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Zalerion.
Figure 1 – (a) Zalerion maritima (redrawn from Seifert et al. (2011)); (b) Halazoon melhae (redrawn from Abdel-Wahab et al. (2010)), a, b Conidiophore with attached conidia. c, d Conidia. Scale bars: a–d = 10 µm; (c) Cumulospora marina (redrawn from Seifert et al. (2011)); (d) Hiogispora japonica (redrawn from Goos (1985b)). a, b Conidiophores and conidia. Scale bars: a, b = 10 μm
References
Anastasiou C. 1963 – The genus Zalerion Moore & Meyers. Canadian journal of Botany 41(8):1135–1139.
Barghoorn ES, Linder DH. 1944 – Marine fungi: their taxonomy and biology. Farlowia 1(3):395–467.
Udaiyan K. 1991 – Some interesting fungi from the industrial water cooling towers of Madras. II. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 15:649–665.
Zhao G, Liu X, Wu W. 2007 – Helicosporous hyphomycetes from China. Fungal Diversity 26:313–524.
Entry by
Jian Ma, School of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550003, P.R. China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand.
Published online 10 September 2026