In this study, we investigated the morphological and genetic variability of selected species belonging to the genus Chloridium sensu lato, some also referred to as chloridium-like asexual morphs and other undescribed morphologically similar fungi. These species do not conform to the revised generic concept and thus necessitate a re-evaluation in terms of taxonomy and phylogeny. The family Chaetosphaeriaceae (Chaetosphaeriales) encompasses a wide range of asexual morphotypes, and among them, the simplest form is represented by Chloridium sect. Chloridium. The morphological simplicity of the Chloridium morphotype has historically led to the amalgamation of numerous unrelated species, thereby creating a heterogeneous genus. By conducting phylogenetic reconstruction of four DNA loci and examining a set of 71 strains, including all available ex-type and other non-type strains as well as holotypes and other herbarium material, we were able to gain new insights into the relationships between these taxa. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the studied species are distantly related to Chloridium sensu stricto and can be grouped into two orders in the Sordariomycetes. Within the Chaetosphaeriales, they formed nine well-separated genera in four clades, such as Cacumisporium, Caliciastrum gen. nov., Caligospora gen. nov., Capillisphaeria gen. nov., Curvichaeta, Fusichloridium, Geniculoseta gen. nov., Papillospora gen. nov., and Spicatispora gen. nov. We also established Chloridiopsiella gen. nov. and Chloridiopsis gen. nov. in Vermiculariopsiellales. Four new species and eight new combinations are proposed in these genera. Our study provides a clearer understanding of the genus Chloridium, its relationship to other morphologically similar fungi, and a new taxonomic treatment and molecular phylogeny to facilitate their accurate identification and classification in future research. Taxonomic novelties: New genera: Caliciastrum Réblová, Caligospora Réblová, Capillisphaeria Réblová, Chloridiopsiella Réblová, Chloridiopsis Réblová, Geniculoseta Réblová, Papillospora Réblová, Spicatispora Réblová; New species: Caliciastrum bicolor Réblová, Caligospora pannosa Réblová, Chloridiopsis syzygii Réblová, Gongromerizella silvana Réblová; New combinations: Caligospora dilabens (Réblová & W. Gams) Réblová, Capillisphaeria crustacea (Sacc.) Réblová, Chloridiopsiella preussii (W. Gams & Hol.-Jech.) Réblová, Chloridiopsis constrictospora (Crous et al.) Réblová, Geniculoseta preussii (W. Gams & Hol.-Jech.) Réblová, Papillospora hebetiseta (Réblová & W. Gams) Réblová, Spicatispora carpatica (Hol.-Jech. & Révay) Réblová, Spicatispora fennica (P. Karst.) Réblová; Epitypifications (basionyms): Chaetosphaeria dilabens Réblová & W. Gams, Chloridium cylindrosporum W. Gams & Hol.-Jech. Citation: Réblová M, Nekvindová J (2023). New genera and species with chloridium-like morphotype in the Chaetosphaeriales and Vermiculariopsiellales. Studies in Mycology 106: 199-258. doi: 10.3114/sim.2023.106.04.

• Keywords
• Chaetosphaeria, conidiogenesis, lignicolous fungi, multi-locus, new taxa, phialide,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Arthroderma is the most diverse genus of dermatophytes, and its natural reservoir is considered to be soil enriched by keratin sources. During a study on the diversity of dermatophytes in wild small rodents in the Czech Republic, we isolated several strains of Arthroderma. To explore the diversity and ecological significance of these isolates from rodents (n = 29), we characterised the strains genetically (i.e., sequenced ITS, tubb and tef1α), morphologically, physiologically, and by conducting mating experiments. We then compared the rodent-derived strains to existing ITS sequence data from GenBank and the GlobalFungi Database to further investigate biogeography and the association of Arthroderma species with different types of environments. In total, eight Arthroderma species were isolated from rodents, including four previously described species (A. crocatum, A. cuniculi, A. curreyi, A. quadrifidum) and four new species proposed herein, i.e., A. rodenticum, A. simile, A. zoogenum and A. psychrophilum. The geographical distribution of these newly described species was not restricted to the Czech Republic nor rodents. Additional isolates were obtained from bats and other mammals, reptiles, and soil from Europe, North America, and Asia. Data mining showed that the genus has a diverse ecology, with some lineages occurring relatively frequently in soil, whereas others appeared to be more closely associated with live animals, as we observed in A. rodenticum. Low numbers of sequence reads ascribed to Arthroderma in soil show that the genus is rare in this environment, which supports the hypothesis that Arthroderma spp. are not soil generalists but rather strongly associated with animals and keratin debris. This is the first study to utilise existing metabarcoding data to assess biogeographical, ecological, and diversity patterns in dermatophytes. Citation: Moulíková Š, Kolařík M, Lorch JM, et al. 2022. Wild rodents harbour high diversity of Arthroderma. Persoonia 50: 27- 47. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2023.50.02.

• Keywords
• Arthroderma, GlobalFungi, geophilic dermatophytes, mating type genes, new taxa, polyphasic taxonomy, wild rodents,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Chloridium is a little-studied group of soil- and wood-inhabiting dematiaceous hyphomycetes that share a rare mode of phialidic conidiogenesis on multiple loci. The genus has historically been divided into three morphological sections, i.e. Chloridium, Gongromeriza, and Psilobotrys. Sexual morphs have been placed in the widely perceived genus Chaetosphaeria, but unlike their asexual counterparts, they show little or no morphological variation. Recent molecular studies have expanded the generic concept to include species defined by a new set of morphological characters, such as the collar-like hyphae, setae, discrete phialides, and penicillately branched conidiophores. The study is based on the consilience of molecular species delimitation methods, phylogenetic analyses, ancestral state reconstruction, morphological hypotheses, and global biogeographic analyses. The multilocus phylogeny demonstrated that the classic concept of Chloridium is polyphyletic, and the original sections are not congeneric. Therefore, we abolish the existing classification and propose to restore the generic status of Gongromeriza and Psilobotrys. We present a new generic concept and define Chloridium as a monophyletic, polythetic genus comprising 37 species distributed in eight sections. In addition, of the taxa earlier referred to Gongromeriza, two have been redisposed to the new genus Gongromerizella. Analysis of published metabarcoding data showed that Chloridium is a common soil fungus representing a significant (0.3 %) proportion of sequence reads in environmental samples deposited in the GlobalFungi database. The analysis also showed that they are typically associated with forest habitats, and their distribution is strongly influenced by climate, which is confirmed by our data on their ability to grow at different temperatures. We demonstrated that Chloridium forms species-specific ranges of distribution, which is rarely documented for microscopic soil fungi. Our study shows the feasibility of using the GlobalFungi database to study the biogeography and ecology of fungi. Taxonomic novelties: New genus: Gongromerizella Réblová; New sections: Chloridium section Cryptogonytrichum Réblová, Hern.-Restr., M. Kolařík & F. Sklenar, Chloridium section Gonytrichopsis Réblová, Hern.-Restr., M. Kolařík & F. Sklenar, Chloridium section Metachloridium Réblová, Hern.-Restr., M. Kolařík & F. Sklenar, Chloridium section Volubilia Réblová, Hern.-Restr., M. Kolařík & F. Sklenar; New species: Chloridium bellum Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium biforme Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium detriticola Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium gamsii Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium guttiferum Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium moratum Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium peruense Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium novae-zelandiae Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium elongatum Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium volubile Réblová & Hern.-Restr.; New varieties: Chloridium bellum var. luteum Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium detriticola var. effusum Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium chloridioides var. convolutum Réblová & Hern.-Restr.; New combinations: Chloridium section Gonytrichum (Nees & T. Nees) Réblová, Hern.-Restr., M. Kolařík & F. Sklenar, Chloridium section Mesobotrys (Sacc.) Réblová, Hern.-Restr., M. Kolařík & F. Sklenar, Chloridium section Pseudophialocephala (M.S. Calabon et al.) Réblová, Hern.-Restr., M. Kolařík & F. Sklenar, Chloridium simile (W. Gams & Hol.-Jech.) Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium chloridioides (W. Gams & Hol.-Jech.) Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium subglobosum (W. Gams & Hol.-Jech.) Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium fuscum (Corda) Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium ypsilosporum (Hol.-Jech.) Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium costaricense (G. Weber et al.) Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Chloridium cuneatum (N.G. Liu et al.) Réblová & Hern.-Restr., Fusichloridium cylindrosporum (W. Gams & Hol.-Jech.) Réblová, Gongromeriza myriocarpa (Fr.) Réblová, Gongromeriza pygmaea (P. Karst.) Réblová, Gongromerizella lignicola (F. Mangenot) Réblová, Gongromerizella pachytrachela (W. Gams & Hol.-Jech) Réblová, Gongromerizella pini (Crous & Akulov) Réblová; New name: Chloridium pellucidum Réblová & Hern.-Restr.; Epitypifications (basionyms): Chaetopsis fusca Corda, Gonytrichum caesium var. subglobosum W. Gams & Hol.-Jech.; Lectotypification (basionym): Gonytrichum caesium Nees & T. Nees. Citation: Réblová M, Hernández-Restrepo M, Sklenář F, Nekvindová J, Réblová K, Kolařík M (2022). Consolidation of Chloridium: new classification into eight sections with 37 species and reinstatement of the genera Gongromeriza and Psilobotrys. Studies in Mycology 103: 87-212. doi: 10.3114/sim.2022.103.04.

• Keywords
• 35 new taxa, Chaetosphaeriaceae, molecular systematics, phialidic conidiogenesis, soil fungi, species delimitation methods, wood-inhabiting fungi,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The genus Codinaea is a phialidic, dematiaceous hyphomycete known for its intriguing morphology and turbulent taxonomic history. This polyphasic study represents a new, comprehensive view on the taxonomy, systematics, and biogeography of Codinaea and its relatives. Phylogenetic analyses of three nuclear loci confirmed that Codinaea is polyphyletic. The generic concept was emended; it includes four morphotypes that contribute to its morphological complexity. Ancestral inference showed that the evolution of some traits is correlated and that these traits previously used to delimit taxa at the generic level occur in species that were shown to be congeneric. Five lineages of Codinaea-like fungi were recognized and introduced as new genera: Codinaeella, Nimesporella, Stilbochaeta, Tainosphaeriella, and Xyladelphia. Dual DNA barcoding facilitated identification at the species level. Codinaea and its segregates thrive on decaying plants, rarely occurring as endophytes or plant pathogens. Environmental ITS sequences indicate that they are common in bulk soil. The geographic distribution found using GlobalFungi database was consistent with known data. Most species are distributed in either the Holarctic realm or tropical geographic regions. The ancestral climatic zone was temperate, followed by transitions to the tropics; these fungi evolved primarily in Eurasia and Americas, with subsequent transitions to Africa and Australasia.

• Keywords
• 37 new taxa, GlobalFungi, ancestral inference, appendages, barcodes, molecular systematics, morphology, phialidic conidiogenesis,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The Iodosphaeriaceae is represented by the single genus, Iodosphaeria, which is composed of nine species with superficial, black, globose ascomata covered with long, flexuous, brown hairs projecting from the ascomata in a stellate fashion, unitunicate asci with an amyloid apical ring or ring lacking and ellipsoidal, ellipsoidal-fusiform or allantoid, hyaline, aseptate ascospores. Members of Iodosphaeria are infrequently found worldwide as saprobes on various hosts and a wide range of substrates. Only three species have been sequenced and included in phylogenetic analyses, but the type species, I. phyllophila, lacks sequence data. In order to stabilize the placement of the genus and family, an epitype for the type species was designated after obtaining ITS sequence data and conducting maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses. Iodosphaeria foliicola occurring on overwintered Alnus sp. leaves is described as new. Five species in the genus form a well-supported monophyletic group, sister to the Pseudosporidesmiaceae in the Xylariales. Selenosporella-like and/or ceratosporium-like synasexual morphs were experimentally verified or found associated with ascomata of seven of the nine accepted species in the genus. Taxa included and excluded from Iodosphaeria are discussed.

• Keywords
• 1 new taxon, epitypification, phylogeny, systematics, taxonomy,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The genus Catenularia (Chaetosphaeriaceae) was reviewed, and its relationships with morphologically similar fungi were evaluated using molecular and morphological data. Eleven species are accepted, four of which have been verified with molecular DNA data. The correct epithet 'cupulifera' is proposed for the type species C. cupulifera comb. nov. Four other combinations are proposed, namely C. catenulata comb. nov., C. elsikii comb. nov., C. minor comb. nov. and C. novae-zelandiae comb. nov. Catenularia is an uncommon fungus inhabiting mainly decaying bark, wood and bamboo culms of various hosts and shows a widespread geographical distribution. It is circumscribed for fungi with mononematous, macronematous, simple conidiophores with terminal monophialides, usually accompanied with capitate hyphae. The conidia are aseptate, brown, cuneiform to rounded-obconic with an angular outline, adhering in chains. The diagnostic values of taxonomic characteristics of capitate hyphae and conidia (i.e. colour, shape in transverse section, setulae and formation) at the generic level were evaluated. An account of morphology, taxonomy and phylogeny of species accepted in Catenularia is provided. Based on ribosomal DNA sequences, Chalarodes obpyramidata sp. nov., characterised by catenate, angular, hyaline conidia with apical setulae, is revealed as closely related to Catenularia. The new genus Fuscocatenula gen. nov. is proposed for catenularia-like fungi having pigmented conidia with protracted maturation and round outline, with two species accepted, F. submersa comb. nov. and F. variegata comb. nov. A new species Nawawia antennata sp. nov. is introduced and Nawawia is compared with morphologically similar taxa.

• Keywords
• Chaetosphaeria, 10 taxonomic novelties, angular conidia, basipetal chain, lignicolous, molecular systematics, phialidic conidiogenesis,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The genera Menisporopsis, Multiguttulispora and Tainosphaeria (Chaetosphaeriaceae) are saprobes inhabiting decaying plant material. This study is based on an integrated morpho-molecular characterisation to assess their generic concepts and explore phylogenetic relationships. Menisporopsis is revealed as polyphyletic, and species with 1-septate conidia and synnemata growing unilaterally along the seta are placed in the new segregate genus Arcuatospora. Codinaea dimorpha and C. triseptata are shown to be congeneric with Multiguttulispora sympodialis, the type species. Two new combinations are proposed: M. sympodialis is found conspecific with M. dimorpha. The Tainosphaeria complex is resolved into three genera. We found that the morphological separation of three groups within the genus is consistent with phylogenetic relationships. Tainosphaeria s. str. is accepted with five species. Tainosphaeria aseptata and T. lunata are transferred to the newly erected Phialoturbella, whereas T. obclavata is revealed as conspecific with Phialogeniculata guadalcanalensis, reducing it to a synonym. A new genus Flectospora is erected for a chloridium-like fungus nested in the Tainosphaeria clade. Based on molecular evidence, we show that asymmetrical, scolecosporous ascospores are a unique teleomorphic characteristic among family members. Therefore, we propose new combinations for Chaetosphaeria hispida in Paragaeumannomyces and Ch. spinosa in the new genus Ericiosphaeria, both exhibiting this rare morphotype.

• Keywords
• appendages, foliicolous, lignicolous, molecular systematics, phialidic conidiogenesis, taxonomic novelties,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH