Helminthopeltis
Helminthopeltis Sousa da Câmara, Agron. lusit. 12: 102 (1950).
Index Fungorum number: IF 2261; Facesoffungi number: FoF 12228, 1 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), no molecular data available.
Necrotrophic or biotrophic on the surface of leaves of conifers, forming black oval spots. Superficial mycelium absent. Sexual morph: Ascomata solitary or grouped in pairs, scattered, superficial, clypeate, oblong or elongated, with a longitudinal cleft-like opening, sub coriaceous, black to brown. Peridium two-layered, composed of hyaline pseudoparenchymatous cells and an inner layer of isodiametric cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium sparse or absent. Asci at least 8-spored (or more than 8-spored), not fissitunicate, cylindrical to oblong, thin-walled, parallel arrangement. Ascospores parallel seriate, broad filiform to wire-like, hyaline, aseptate, wall smooth. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Wu et al. 2010).
Type species: Helminthopeltis almeidaeana Sousa da Câmara
Notes: Helminthopeltis is characterised by ascomata that are solitary or grouped in pairs, scattered, cylindrical to oblong, thin-walled asci and broad filiform to wire-like, hyaline, aseptate ascospores. Lumbsch and Huhndorf (2007) treated Helminthopeltis in Microthyriaceae. Wu et al. (2010) examined the type specimen of H. almeidaeana (LISE 50024) and suggested that H. almeidaeana is better placed in Lophodermium (Rhytismataceae) but did not make the transfer. Wu et al. (2010) suggested that H. almeidaeana might have been described in Lophodermium under another name but this is not confirmed yet. Hyde et al. (2013) excluded Helminthopeltis from Microthyriaceae. Wijayawardene et al. (2017, 2020) treated Helminthopeltis in Dothideomycetes, genera incertae sedis. Helminthopeltis might belong to Sordariomycetes since it has unitunicate asci. Molecular data is lacking. Fresh collections with DNA sequence data are needed to confirm the taxonomic placement of Helminthopeltis.
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