''Backusella'' is the sole

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of zygote fungi in the family Backusellaceae, which is classified in the order

Mucorales The Mucorales is the largest and best-studied order of zygomycete fungi. Members of this order are sometimes called pin molds. The term mucormycosis is now preferred for infections caused by molds belonging to the order Mucorales. Systematic ...

. Members of this genus have been often isolated from

plant litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall, or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that has fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent ...

, from locations around the world.

Taxonomy

C. W. Hesseltine and J. J. Ellis recognised the uniqueness of a new species, ''B. circina'', warranted its classification in a new genus; in 1969 they established ''Backusella'', named in honour of Professor M. P. Backus. Since then, several species previously placed in the archetypal mucoralean genus ''

Mucor ''Mucor'' is a microbial genus of approximately 40 species of molds and dimorphic fungi in the family Mucoraceae. The genus includes both pathogenic and avirulent species, and some members of it can be utilized in biotechnical applications. ...

'' were reassessed, found to be close relatives of ''B. circina'', and combined into ''Backusella'' as additional ''Backusella'' species, while other species were discovered and classified outright as ''Backusella''. K. Voigt & P.M. Kirk established the family Backusellaceae to include ''Backusella'' in 2012, as they likewise recognised the uniqueness of the genus and the need to classify it within a distinct family.

Accepted species

The genus consists of the following 27 accepted species: * '' Backusella australiensis'' Urquhart & Douch * '' Backusella azygospora'' T.R.L. Cordeiro ''et al''. * '' Backusella chlamydospora'' Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen * '' Backusella circina'' J.J. Ellis & Hesselt. – generic type species ::Synonym: ''Mucor pseudolamprosporus'' H. Nagan. & Hirahara ::Synonym: ''B. johorensis'' L.S. Loh ''et al''. * '' Backusella constricta'' D.X. Lima ''et al''. * '' Backusella dispersa'' (Hagem) Urquhart & Douch ::Basionym: ''M. dispersus'' Hagem * ''

Backusella gigacellularis ''Backusella'' is the sole genus of zygote fungi in the family Backusellaceae, which is classified in the order Mucorales. Members of this genus have been often isolated from plant litter, from locations around the world. Taxonomy C. W. Hesselt ...

'' J.I. Souza ''et al''. * '' Backusella granulispora'' L.S. Loh & Kuthub. * '' Backusella indica'' (Baijal & B.S. Mehrotra) Walther & de Hoog ::Basionym: ''M. recurvus'' var. ''indicus'' s '' 'indica' ''Baijal & B.S. Mehrotra * '' Backusella koreana'' Hyang B. Lee ''et al''. * ''

Backusella lamprospora ''Backusella'' is the sole genus of zygote fungi in the family Backusellaceae, which is classified in the order Mucorales. Members of this genus have been often isolated from plant litter, from locations around the world. Taxonomy C. W. Hesselt ...

'' (Lendn.) Benny & R.K. Benj. (1975) ::Basionym: ''M. lamprosporus'' Lendn. ::Synonym: ''B. circina'' var. ''lamprospora'' (Lendn.) R.Y. Zheng * '' Backusella liffmaniae'' Urquhart & Douch * '' Backusella locustae'' Hyang B. Lee ''et al''. * '' Backusella luteola'' Urquhart & Douch * ''

Backusella macrospora ''Backusella macrospora'' is a species of zygote fungus in the order Mucorales. It was described by Andrew S. Urquhart and James K. Douch in 2020. The specific epithet refers to the large size of the sporangiospores. The type locality is Tarra-B ...

'' Urquhart & Douch * ''

Backusella mclennaniae ''Backusella'' is the sole genus of Zygomycota, zygote fungi in the family Backusellaceae, which is classified in the order Mucorales. Members of this genus have been often isolated from plant litter, from locations around the world. Taxonomy C. ...

'' Urquhart & Douch * ''

Backusella morwellensis ''Backusella morwellensis'' is a species of zygote fungus in the order Mucorales. It was described by Andrew S. Urquhart and James K. Douch in 2020. The specific epithet refers to the type locality; Morwell National Park, Australia. See also * ...

'' Urquhart & Douch * ''

Backusella oblongielliptica ''Backusella'' is the sole genus of zygote fungi in the family Backusellaceae, which is classified in the order Mucorales. Members of this genus have been often isolated from plant litter, from locations around the world. Taxonomy C. W. Hesselt ...

'' (H. Nagan. ''et al''. ''ex'' Pidopl. & Milko) Walther & de Hoog ::Basionym: ''M. oblongiellipticus'' H. Nagan. ''et al''. ''ex'' Pidopl. & Milko * ''

Backusella oblongispora ''Backusella'' is the sole genus of zygote fungi in the family Backusellaceae, which is classified in the order Mucorales. Members of this genus have been often isolated from plant litter, from locations around the world. Taxonomy C. W. Hesselt ...

'' (Naumov) Walther & de Hoog ::Basionym: ''M. oblongisporus'' Naumov * ''

Backusella parvicylindrica ''Backusella parvicylindrica'' is a species of zygote fungus in the order Mucorales. It was described by Andrew S. Urquhart and James K. Douch in 2020. The specific epithet is from Latin ''parvus'' (small) and Greek ''kylindros'' (cylinder), ref ...

'' Urquhart & Douch * ''

Backusella psychrophila ''Backusella psychrophila'' is a species of zygote fungus in the order Mucorales. It was described by Andrew S. Urquhart and James K. Douch in 2020. The specific epithet refers to the inability of this species to grow above 30 ˚C. The type loca ...

'' Urquhart & Douch * ''

Backusella recurva ''Backusella'' is the sole genus of zygote fungi in the family Backusellaceae, which is classified in the order Mucorales. Members of this genus have been often isolated from plant litter, from locations around the world. Taxonomy C. W. Hesselt ...

'' (E.E. Butler) Walther & de Hoog ::Basionym: ''M. recurvus'' E.E. Butler ::Synonym: ''M. recurvus'' var. ''aspinosus'' L.S. Loh ::Synonym: ''M. aromaticus'' Povah * ''

Backusella tarrabulga ''Backusella tarrabulga'' is a species of zygote fungus in the order Mucorales. It was described by Andrew S. Urquhart and James K. Douch in 2020. The specific epithet refers to the type locality; Tarra-Bulga National Park, Australia. See also ...

'' Urquhart & Douch * ''

Backusella thermophila ''Backusella'' is the sole genus of zygote fungi in the family Backusellaceae, which is classified in the order Mucorales. Members of this genus have been often isolated from plant litter, from locations around the world. Taxonomy C. W. Hesselt ...

'' Hyang B. Lee ''et al''. * ''

Backusella tuberculispora ''Backusella'' is the sole genus of zygote fungi in the family Backusellaceae, which is classified in the order Mucorales. Members of this genus have been often isolated from plant litter, from locations around the world. Taxonomy C. W. Hesselt ...

'' (Schipper 1978) G. Walther & de Hoog ::Basionym: ''M. tuberculisporus'' Schipper 1978 ::Synonym: ''M. heterosporus'' ''sensu'' Baijal & Mehrotra; ''fide'' Schipper * '' Backusella variabilis'' (A.K. Sarbhoy) G. Walther & de Hoog ::Basionym: ''M. variabilis'' A.K. Sarbhoy ::Synonym: ''M. grandis'' Schipper & Samson ::Synonym: ''B. grandis'' (Schipper & Samson) G. Walther & de Hoog * '' Backusella westeae'' Urquhart & Douch

Former species

The following species was at one point considered by some authorities to be in the genus ''Backusella'', although this is no longer so: * '' Mucor ctenidius'' (Durrell & M. Fleming) Pidopl. & Milko ''ex'' Benny & R.K. Benj. ::Basionym: '' Thamnidium ctenidium'' Durrell & M. Fleming ::Synonym: ''B. ctenidia'' (Durrell & M. Fleming) Pidopl. & Milko ''ex'' Benny & R.K. Benj.

Taxonomy

Accepted species

Former species

See also

References

Further reading