Eremomyces
Eremomyces Malloch & Cain, Can. J. Bot. 49(6): 847 (1971).
= Pithoascina Valmaseda et al., Can. J. Bot. 65(9): 1905 (1987).
Index Fungorum number: IF 1880; Facesoffungi number: FoF 05360, 2 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), 1 species with molecular data.
Saprobic on dung of the North American porcupine. Colonies flocculent, drift white, superficial, dense, growing slowly on agar media. Hyphae septate, branch, hyaline to brown. Sexual morph: Ascomata solitary, scattered, superficial on hyphae, globose to ellipsoid, dark brown to black, nonostiolate. Peridium thin, composed of large brown cells of textura angularis. Pseudoparaphyses lacking. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, obovoid, thin-walled, pedicellate, evanescent. Ascospores multi-seriate, fabiform, hyaline, non-septate, smooth-walled. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Hyde et al. 2013).
Type species: Eremomyces bilateralis Malloch & Cain
Notes: Eremomyces is characterised by scattered, superficial, globose to ellipsoid ascomata growing on hyphae, obovoid, thin-walled asci and multi-seriate, fabiform, hyaline, non-septate, smooth-walled ascospores. Malloch and Sigler (1988) included Pithoascus langeronii in Eremomyces, based on occurrence on dung with brown to black ascomata with a pseudoparenchymatous peridium. Malloch and Cain (1971) introduced Eremomycetaceae for Eremomyces as type genus to accommodate species characterised by solitary ascomata and hyaline, aseptate ascospores. Kang et al. (2010) reported that Pithoascus langeronii (CBS 203.78) belongs to Pezizales based on phylogenetic analysis of ITS, RPB2 and SSU sequence data. Eremomyces morphologically resembles Trichosporiella (Helotiales) in having subglobose to globose, black conidiomata and scopulariopsis-like hyaline conidia. Eremomyces is also similar to Arthrographis but differs in that the latter produces unicellular arthroconidia and chlamydospores which are lacking in Eremomyces. Eremomyces is also similar to tropical parasites such as Cleistosphaera and Pilgeriella but is distinct in having irregularly disposed asci, a cephalothecoid ascomatal wall and a coprophilous lifestyle (Malloch & Cain 1971). Eremomyces resembles members of Sporormiaceae based on cleistothecial characters and species of Venturiaceae in having setose ascomata but is phylogenetically distinct (Malloch & Cain 1971). Eremomyces is morphologically and phylogenetically a distinct and type genus of Eremomycetaceae. Cultures and sequence data are available for Eremomyces but lacking for the type. The type species of Eremomyces need to be re-discovered as the genus needs epitypification. Molecular markers available for Eremomyces include ITS, LSU and Actin.
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