Parodiella
Parodiella Speg., Anal. Soc. cient. argent. 9(4): 178 (1880).
Index Fungorum number: IF 3749; Facesoffungi number: FoF 07890, 23 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), no molecular data available.
Biotrophic on upper side of leaves. Sexual morph: Ascomata superficial, scattered and gregarious between veins, uniloculate, subglobose to globose, with short stalk when mature, smooth or verrucose, black, with blackened fungal tissue in the leaf below stalk. Ostiole central with periphyses. Peridium thick-walled, comprising brown to dark brown cells of textura angularis at the outside and pale brown, flattened cells toward the inner region. Hamathecium of irregular pseudoparaphyses. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, cylindrical to clavate, with broad, lobed pedicle, apically rounded with ocular chamber. Ascospores 1–2-overlapping seriate, fusoid to ellipsoidal, brown to dark brown,uniseptate, constricted at septum, inequilateral, with upper cell broader and longer than lower cell, slightly narrowed at the ends, smooth-walled or striated, lacking a mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: assumed as Ascochytopsis. Conidiomata thick-walled, black. Conidiogenous cell cylindrical, proliferating percurrently. Conidia straight to falcate, hyaline, aseptate (adapted from Hyde et al. 2013).
Type species: Parodiella perisporioides Speg.
Notes: Parodiella is characterised by superficial, scattered or gregarious, uniloculate, subglobose to globose ascomata, cylindrical to clavate, asci, and fusoid to ellipsoidal, brown to dark brown,uniseptate ascospores. The asexual morph is Ascochytopsis characterised by thick-walled, black conidiomata, cylindrical conidiogenous cells, proliferating percurrently and falcate, hyaline, aseptate conidia. The placement of Parodiella has undergone various changes in recent years. Müller and Arx (1962), Tilak (1963) and Tendulkar (1971) referred Parodiella to Pleosporaceae based on the broadly cellular pseudoparaphyses and in their way of reproduction. Luttrell (1973) suggested the placement of Parodiella in Venturiaceae. Arx and Müller (1975) referred Parodiella to Stigmateaceae mentioning Scleroparodia leguminosarum Petr. as the asexual state of Parodiella. Barr (1979a, b) suggested that Parodiella may be related to Cucurbitariaceae. Eriksson (1981) mentioned Parodiella as an obligate parasite since the ascospores germinate but cannot form colonies on agar media. Theissen and Sydow (1918) introduced Parodiellaceae (Pleosporales) to accommodate Parodiella but it was invalid. Eriksson (1981) referred Parodiella to Parodiellaceae, but it was Barr (1987a) who validated Parodiellaceae and included Parodiella, Neopeckia and Pododimeria in the family. Hyde et al. (2013) illustrated the syntype of Parodiella hedysari (K(M) 176017) to represent Parodiella since they could not find the holotype specimen. Wijayawardene et al. (2018) accepted only Parodiella in Parodiellaceae. Parodiella is a distinct and type genus of Parodiellaceae but lacks molecular data. Fresh collections with DNA sequence data are needed to confirm the taxonomic placement of Parodiella.
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