Hans-Otto Baral

With the simultaneous growth in interest from the mycological community to discover fungal species and classify them, there is also an important need to assemble all taxonomic information onto common platforms. Fungal classification is facing a rapidly evolving landscape and organizing genera into an appropriate taxonomic hierarchy is central to be...

Fungi are one of the most diverse groups of organisms with an estimated number of species in the range of 2–3 million. The higher-level ranking of fungi has been discussed in the framework of molecular phylogenetics since Hibbett et al., and the definition and the higher ranks (e.g., phyla) of the ‘true fungi’ have been revised in several subsequen...

The apothecial fungus Ramomarthamyces octomerus sp. nov. is described from specimens collected in Mediterranean climate regions in southern Portugal, Spain (Canary Islands), and the Dalmatian region of Croatia. Presumably saprobic, R. octomerus occurs on intact, decorticated wood of Laurus novocanariensis and Olea europaea. Ascospores are cylindric...

Sarcotrochila alpina (type species of the genus Sarcotrochila) has long been known as a saprotroph colonising larch needles in litter. During a survey of mycobiota colonising needles in litter, we regularly observed apothecia of this species on larch needles cultivated in damp chambers, and isolated the fungus from its ascospores into culture. Anal...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Argentina, Neocamarosporium halophilum in leaf spots of Atriplex undulata. Australia, Aschersonia merianiae on scale insect (Coccoidea), Curvularia huamulaniae isolated from air, Hevansia mainiae on dead spider, Ophiocordyceps poecilometigena on Poecilom...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Argentina, Neocamarosporium halophilum in leaf spots of Atriplex undulata. Australia, Aschersonia merianiae on scale insect (Coccoidea), Curvularia huamulaniae isolated from air, Hevansia mainiae on dead spider, Ophiocordyceps poecilometigena on Poecilom...

The Global Consortium for the Classification of Fungi and fungus-like taxa is an international initiative of more than 550 mycologists to develop an electronic structure for the classification of these organisms. The members of the Consortium originate from 55 countries/regions worldwide, from a wide range of disciplines, and include senior, mid-ca...

A new genus and species, Venturioscypha nigropila , is proposed for a minute inoperculate discomycete with long, cylindrical, partly flexuous, dark blackish-brown, smooth, finally thick-walled hairs. It has been collected repeatedly in Europe on dead, corticated branches of Pinus spp. attached to living or recently dead trees. At first glance the s...

The new genus Bryorutstroemia is established for the red-brown, stipitate, bryoparasitic discomycete Helotium fulvum Boud. Combined phylogenetic analysis of ITS and LSU rDNA and EF1α revealed that Bryorutstroemia fulva belongs to the sclerotiniaceous clade, which comprises the paraphyletic families Rutstroemiaceae and Sclerotiniaceae. Bryorutstroem...

Tympanis species (Leotiales) are plant pathogens distributed mostly in northern temperate ecosystems. The diversity and identity of some species remains unclear. Tympanis vagabunda, found in Sicilia (Italy) on dry twigs of Rosa, Rubus, and Pistacia, is one example of an obscure and poorly known species. During the study of its type specimen in S, w...

In a recently published classification scheme for Leotiomycetes, the new family Hyphodiscaceae was erected; unfortunately, this study was rife with phylogenetic misinterpretations and hampered by a poor understanding of this group of fungi. This manifested in the form of an undiagnostic familial description, an erroneous familial circumscription, a...

Based on phylogenetic analyses of a multi-gene matrix of nuITS-LSU rDNA, RPB2 and TUB2 sequences and morphology, xylariaceous species with uni- to pauciperitheciate stromata and ascospores having a spirally coiling (helicoid) germ slit are revised and reclassified, including detailed descriptions and illustrations. The genus Helicogermslita is rede...

Ciboria ploettneriana, Schroeteria decaisneana, and S. poeltii produce morphologically very similar apothecia emerging from fallen stromatized seeds of Veronica spp., the former two on V. hederifolia agg. in temperate central Europe and S. poeltii on V. cymbalaria in mediterranean southern Europe. They are described and illustrated in detail based...

In this 8th contribution to the Fungal Systematics and Evolution series published by Sydowia, the authors formally describe 11 species: Cortinarius caryae, C. flavolilacinus, C. lilaceolamellatus, C. malodorus, C. olivaceolamellatus, C. quercophilus, C. violaceoflavescens, C. viridicarneus, Entoloma meridionale (Agaricales), Hortiboletus rupicapreu...

Orbilia xanthostigma, with golden yellow to yellow-orange apothecia and O. leucostigma, with white to very pale rose-lilaceous apothecia, were described by E.M. Fries over 200 years ago. Each of the two taxa, which are not easy to interpret because type material is lacking, was proposed in the past as lectotype of the genus Orbilia. In the here pre...

Hymenobolus agaves has been reported only in Europe and Africa on the American plant Agave americana ( Asparagaceae ). This fungus has never been found in the native range of its host, in arid ecosystems of northern and central Mexico and Texas, USA. It has been suggested to be a pathogen that can kill its host. The fungus grows on succulent leaf b...

Three little known, morphologically similar species of Sclerotiniaceae which form their apothecia on fallen stromatized Veronica seeds are described and illustrated in detail based on fresh collections or moist chamber cultures of infected seeds: Ciboria ploettneriana, Schroeteria decaisneana, and Schroeteria poeltii. The former two were found on V...

There were errors in the name of author László G. Nagy and in affiliation no. 31 in the original publication. The original article has been corrected.

The cryptic lifestyle of most fungi necessitates molecular identiication of the guild in environmental studies. Over the past decades, rapid development and afordability of molecular tools have tremendously improved insights of the fungal diversity in all ecosystems and habitats. Yet, in spite of the progress of molecular methods, knowledge about f...

Orbilia jesu-laurae is a new species of nematode-trapping fungus found on decorticated angiosperm wood in a tropical rainforest in Puerto Rico. The single specimen was studied from fresh apothecia and cultures. Morphology was studied and phylogenetic analysis (rDNA: ITS and LSU) was conducted using both sexual and asexual morphs. Nematodes were add...

A new species of the genus Cenangiopsis, C. andreae, is described. It is so far known from various localities in the mountainous areas of the region Kuči (Montenegro) and one collection from the Somiedo Natural Park in Asturias (Spain). To the present knowledge, C. andreae develops on periodically dry twigs and branches of two hosts: Rosa spp. (Mon...

Two species of the genus Rutstroemia are presented: R. fruticeti, and R. punicae sp. nov. Viewed from a morphological aspect, R. punicae is the closest to R. tiliacea but differs by apothecial dimensions, paraphyses being not gradually broadened towards apex and without brown vacuole, and slightly wider ascospores. A signiffcant difference lies in...

Two new species of the genus Cenangiopsis, C. livida and C. violascens, are described from a single locality near Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both species grow on dead, mostly corticated, periodically dry branches, partly on the same branch of Quercus petraea. In their lanceolate, strongly protruding paraphyses and narrow, permanently hyaline...

This study examined over 20 fungal specimens of the Orbiliaceae (Orbiliomycetes) from different regions in China. Our analyses based on morphological traits and the ITS rDNA sequences revealed two new Orbilia species with drechslerella-like asexual morphs. These new species are able to trap nematodes with constricting rings. In addition, Orbilia cf...

The rare aquatic inoperculate discomycete Vibrissea catarhyta is redescribed from several recent records based on the methods of vital taxonomy. The identity of these records is confirmed by re-examination of the holotype. The species is characterised within the genus by comparatively short, 3-septate ascospores, the wall showing a violet reaction...

Sclerococcales encompasses a heterogeneous group of fungi, with most of the species included in the genus Sclerococcum (= Dactylospora). Species of Sclerococcum are characterized by having apothecial ascomata with asci covered by an external hemiamyloid gelatin and a thick euamyloid apical cap, while lacking an inner amyloid wall thickening. Asexua...

A new family Chrysodiscaceae and a new genus and species Chrysodisca peziculoides are proposed for a helotialean discomycete growing on xeric, often resinous bark of corticated coniferous branches and trunks in an initial state of decay. The fungus is often found in association with various other drought-tolerant ascomycetes including lichens. Coll...

Fungi in the class Leotiomycetes are ecologically diverse, including mycorrhizas, endophytes of roots and leaves, plant pathogens, aquatic and aero-aquatic hyphomycetes, mammalian pathogens, and saprobes. These fungi are commonly detected in cultures from diseased tissue and from environmental DNA extracts. The identification of specimens from such...

The new species Parakarstenia phyllostachydis was discovered on stems of Phyllostachys heteroclada in Sichuan Province of China and is placed in a new genus within Odontotremataceae in this paper. A multigene analysis of a combined nuclear ITS and LSU rDNA and mtSSU sequence dataset and comparable morphologies suggests the taxonomic affinity of the...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Angola, Gnomoniopsis angolensis and Pseudopithomyces angolensis on unknown host plants. Australia, Dothiora corym­ biae on Corymbia citriodora, Neoeucasphaeria eucalypti (incl. Neoeucasphaeria gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus sp., Fumagopsis stellae on Eucalyptu...

Orbilia georgiana and O. renispora are described as new species to science, in addition, O. eucalypti, O. occulta, and O. xanthoguttulata are reported based on collections taken from the state of Georgia, USA. Orbilia xanthoguttulata is a new record for North America. The morphology of all species is described based on both sexual and asexual morph...

The genus Holwaya was considered to be monospecific until recently because of extensive species synonymy. Seven species have been described or combined in the genus: H. gigantea, H. leptosperma, H. mucida (with subsp. nipponica), H. ophiobolus, H. pusilla, H. salicis, and H. tiliacea. Nowadays most of these taxa are considered to be synonyms of H....

Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to am...

Abstract: the macro- and microscopic characters of the very rarely recorded Allophylaria subliciformis, type species of Allophylaria, are described and illustrated from fresh collections made in spain and Germany. a sample from Canada is also reported. a history of the genus Allophylaria is given. new data, ecological and chorological information a...

A new species of Stamnaria is described based on morphology and molecular data from a collection made in West Siberia. Stamnaria yugrana is differentiated by lanceolate, strongly protruding paraphyses and comparatively narrow, fusoid-clavate ascospores. The apothecia are urn-shaped due to a prominent and even collar as in S. persoonii. The species...

A new genus and species is described for a non-lichenised discomycete collected on xeric bark of corticated branches and standing trunks of Picea abies in southern France and of Pinus heldreichii in Montenegro. e fungus has broadly sessile, roundish apothecia erumpent singly through the host’s periderm by exposing a black margin and grey disc. e pa...

A list of all generic names that have been connected with the Orbiliomycetes is provided. Recommendations are made as to which names should be used in accordance with the rules and the different generic concepts. There is a mismatch in the current generic concepts within Orbiliomycetes regarding the two morphs: a narrow concept is used for the asex...

Cryptodicus muriformis and Schizoxylon gilenstamii (Stictidaceae, Ostropales, Lecanoromycetes, Ascomycota) are described as new to science from collections made in Europe (Sweden, Austria, Switzerland) and North America (Arizona), based on phylogenetic analyses of three loci. Both species show unique morphological characters that distinguish them f...

The only hitherto known species of the monotypic genus Tromeropsis, the rarely reported T. microtheca, is redescribed from recent collections on mostly little decayed, grayed, xeric, sun-exposed wood of decorticated trunks and branches of different gymnosperms, exceptionally angiosperms, from different humid regions of central Europe and a dry area...

Orbilia beltraniae is a new succulenticolous species from the Canary Islands associated with scrubs. Phylogenetic analyses based on rDNA sequences of ITS and partial LSU were conducted determine the relationships of the new species to others in the genus. Macro- and micromorphological, and ecology data are provided, as well as discussion in respect...

Two new species of the genus Cenangiopsis, C. raghavanii and C. junipericola are described from collections made on bark of Juniperus in Montenegro. C. quercicola, the type species of the genus, is redescribed based on a recent collection from Denmark on bark of Quercus. The three species have lanceolate, strongly protruding paraphyses in common. A...

Godronia rosae, un discomycète rare et peu connu est décrit d'après des récoltes effectuées au Monténégro, en Espagne et en Suisse. Des descriptions, photographies et dessins macroscopiques et microscopiques sont fournis, ainsi que des commentaires sur l'écologie et la distribution européenne. Mots-clés : Godroniaceae, morphologie, écologie, taxino...

Based on field work and herbarium studies, a taxonomic revision of the genus Orbilia in the Canary Islands was carried out. Eighteen species of the genus are recognized in the present study. Eight of these are new records for the archipelago (Orbilia cejpii, O. euonymi, O. flavida, O. flavidorosella, O. hesperidea, O. scolecospora, O. vinosa and O....

Lecophagus vermicola sp. nov. is described and illustrated as a predacious (carnivorous) hyphomycete living in bark fissures of living trees of Platanus and other angiosperm and gymnosperm trees, recorded in Hungary, Luxembourg and France. The fungus captures nematodes unlike other Lecophagus species, which are predators of rotifers and tardigrades...

This study focuses on the genus Encoelia and the subfamily Encoelioideae in the morphologically and ecologically diverse Helotiales. The 28S and 18S rDNA as well as tef1, rpb1 and rpb2 were sequenced for 70 species. Phylogenetic analyses revealed Encoelia and Encoelioideae to be highly polyphyletic, with species distributed among eight major lineag...

A new species of Orbilia related to O. luteorubella is described mainly based on morphological characters of its asexual morph and molecular data. The sexual morph does not significantly differ from O. luteorubella, whereas the asexual morph obtained from its ascospore isolate resembles members of the non-predacious genus Dactylella, because it has...

Part 1/2 of Engler’s Syllabus of Plant Families – Ascomycota provides a thorough treatise of the world-wide morphological and molecular diversity of the fungal phylum Ascomycota. The Ascomycota (including lichenized forms) are the most diverse group of fungi, with a fascinating range of morphological and biological variation, distributed from the a...

Laetinaevia marina is a frequent ascomycetous fungus that is widely distributed on the seashores of Scandinavia and Great Britain. It grows on fronds of Fucales (Phaeophyceae) that are washed ashore and lie decaying at the high tide mark or further up on the beach. It is one of the few described marine discomycetes. In the current generic concept i...

Rommelaarsia flavovirens gen. et sp. nov. is proposed. This inoperculate discomycete is known only from two collections in Western Europe, fruiting in spring on dead stems of Equisetum arvensis. An affiliation with the family Hyaloscyphaceae is suggested by the presence of short hairs on the superficially growing apothecium. The species is associat...

Within a few decades, the family Orbiliaceae Nannf. has undergone important changes. Being earlier placed in the Helotiales Nannf., the family was transferred in 2003 to a new order (Orbiliales Baral, O.E. Erikss., G. Marson & E. Weber) and a new class (Orbiliomycetes O.E. Erikss. & Baral). The major part of the species generally studied have been...

The order Helotiales Nannf. is one of the major groups of apothecial fungi, recognized within Ascomycota Caval.‐Sm. It is the most diverse order in Leotiomycetes O. E. Erikss. & Winka, with ca. 2.036 known species in 487 genera. Until recently, there were 13 families recognized. After the first comprehensive phylogenetic study of helotialean fungi...

Hymenoscyphus is a large fungal genus containing a single known severe pathogen (H. fraxineus) causing ash dieback in Europe. Here, the closely related species Hymenoscyphus linears sp. nov. is described from Japan. Apothecia of this fungus emerge from linear, black pseudosclerotia on rachises and petioles of Fraxinus platypoda. In culture, the spe...

The Helotiales are one of the larger orders of Ascomycota, including about 330 genera and roughly 2,500 species (other estimates give >3,000 spp.). This circumscription excludes the Leotiales (a paraphyletic group comprising Geoglossaceae and Leotiaceae), Phacidiales (in an extended concept including Phacidiaceae, Tympanidaceae and Helicogoniaceae)...

Two new species of Velutarina are proposed, and a description of the type species of Velutarina, V. rufoolivacea is given for comparison. The new species V. bertiscensis from Montenegro, on wood of Fagus, deviates from the other two species of the genus by distinctly larger ascospores, which turn brown already prior to discharge, and by lacking ref...

A new species of the genus Erioscyphella, E. curvispora, is described from collections from Montenegro. A record from Netherlands (under the name Lachnum lunatum) and an unpublished one from England indicate that it has also an atlantic distribution. The genus Erioscyphella is reinstated based on morphological and molecular data.

O. laevimarginata is here described as a new species, and also its asexual morph could not be assigned to an existing taxon. Anamorphic strains were obtained from three teleomorph specimens which were collected at different sites and dates. The anamorph is characterized by cylindric-ellipsoid to oblong conidia, mainly 1-septate, growing either sing...

A new species of the genus Orbilia, O. yuanensis (Orbiliales, Orbiliomycetes), was collected from Yunnan Province (China) and Taiwan. The fungus differs from previously known Orbilia species in that it has rod-shaped ascospores with a tear-shaped spore body. An anamorph that was obtained from ascospore isolates is characterized as producing long, c...

The genus Hyalorbilia in Macaronesia is reevaluated. Four species are new to this region (Hyalorbilia berberidis, H. brevistipitata, H. fusispora and H. polypori). Hyalorbilia inflatula is recircumscribed. The new combination Hyalorbilia polypori (Velen.) Baral & E.Weber is proposed. Hyalorbilia lunata is redefined according to vital taxonomy. A de...

The name Discinella "meuriesii" is an incorrect spelling of Discinella menziesii. This misspelling has early been rectified, but was commonly overlooked or misunderstood by databases.

Five species of Hymenoscyphus that fruit on black stromatized parts of dead leaves of deciduous trees are presented, giving details on their morphological and ecological characteristics. Several of these species have previously been misplaced in rutstroemiaceous genera because of the presence of a substratal stroma. However, the heteropolar, scutul...

Morphological and phylogenetic data are used to revise the genus Torrendiella. The type species, described from Europe, is retained within the Rutstroemiaceae. However, Torrendiella species reported from Australasia, southern South America and China were found to be phylogenetically distinct and have been recombined in the newly proposed genus Hyme...

The phylogeny of Orbilia aurantiorubra and related species is inferred from ITS sequence data. Orbilia aurantiorubra is redefined according to vital taxonomy. Integrated analyses of molecular and morphological data, and ecological (e.g. substrate) and geographical origin suggest the existence of three new species, which are described in this paper:...

Under the rules for the naming of fungi with pleomorphic life-cycles adopted in July 2011, the nomenclaturally correct name for the fungus causing the current ash dieback in Europe is determined to be Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, with the basionym Chalara fraxinea, and Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus as a taxonomic synonym of H. fraxineus.

Eight species of Hyalorbilia have been reported from China. Three new Chinese records of the genus are reported in this paper. Two of them are proposed as new combinations. Descriptions and illustrations based on the Chinese materials are provided.

Micropeziza filicina is described as a new species and the generic boundaries between Calloriella, Calycellina, Crustomollisia, and Micropeziza are discussed. Due to morphological similarities between the genera, and the intermediate position of this species, the amalgamation of Calloriella and Crustomollisia with Micropeziza is proposed. For Callo...

The new genus and species Deltopyxis triangulispora is described. It is so far known from 14 sites in the south of Luxembourg and one in the neighbouring region of France. The discomycete forms very small, blackish-brown apothecia on bark, more rarely on wood, but par-ticularly on more or less strongly senescent hymenia of Vuilleminia spp. The apot...

Hymenoscyphus serotinus is a rather well-known and common species which, in its restricted sense, was so far recorded only within Europe, where it fruits exclusively in late autumn and early winter on externally blackened wood of twigs and thin branches of Fagus. Despite its rather characteristic, long and slender, curved (comma-shaped) ascospores,...

The new rules formulated in Article 59 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) will cause numerous, often undesirable, name changes, when only phylogenetically defined clades are named. Our task is to name fungal taxa and not just clades. Two suggestions are made here that may help to alleviate some disadvantage...

Orbilia adenocarpi, Orbilia asomatica and Orbilia pisciformis are described as new species, occurring in hyperarid, arid, semiarid and dry scrubs. Macromorphological, micromorphological and habitat data are provided for the new species.