Eurotiomycetes is a large

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

ascomycete Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defi ...

s with cleistothecial ascocarps within the subphylum

Pezizomycotina Pezizomycotina make up most of the Ascomycota fungi and include most lichenized fungi too. Pezizomycotina contains the filamentous ascomycetes and is a subdivision of the Ascomycota (fungi that form their spores in a sac-like ''ascus''). It is mo ...

, currently containing around 3810 species according to the

Catalogue of Life The Catalogue of Life is an online database that provides an index of known species of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. It was created in 2001 as a partnership between the global Species 2000 and the American Integrated Taxonomic Info ...

. It is the third largest

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.bitunicate in the formation of asci. It contains most of the fungi previously known morphologically as "Plectomycetes".

Systematics and phylogeny

Internal relationships

The class Eurotiomycetes was

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

in 1997 by

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their genetics, genetic and biochemistry, biochemical properties, their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ethnomycology, their use to humans, including as a so ...

s Ove Erik Eriksson and Katarina Winka. At that time it only contained the order

Eurotiales The Eurotiales are an order of sac fungi, also known as the green and blue molds. It was circumscribed in 1980. Classification Currently the order Eurotiales contains 5 families, 28 genera and 1280 species: *Family Aspergillaceae Monascace ...

, which together with the next order added,

Onygenales The Onygenales are an order of fungi in the class Eurotiomycetes and division Ascomycota. The order's last common ancestor is estimated to have lived 150 million years ago. Onygenales can consume and break down keratin, the main component of the ...

, form a

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

group comprising most of the fungi in "Plectomycetes", a group no longer in use that unified fungi under exclusively morphological characteristics. As more orders were added to Eurotiomycetes, the first two along with

Arachnomycetales ''Arachnomyces'' is a genus of cleistothecial ascomycete fungi described in 1902, of which the anamorph (asexual) stage is the genus ''Onychocola''. Although morphologically similar to members of other families, the fungus now belongs to its own ...

became constrained to the first subclass,

Eurotiomycetidae Eurotiomycetidae is a subclass of the Eurotiomycetes. Subdivisions According to Mycobank, Eurotiomycetidae is currently subdivided as follows: * Orders ** Arachnomycetales ** Ascosphaerales ** Coryneliales ** Elaphomycetales ** Eurotiales * ...

. In 2001, the second subclass,

Chaetothyriomycetidae Chaetothyriomycetidae is a subclass of ascomycete within the class Eurotiomycetes. Many species in Chaetothyriomycetidae are lichens. Morphology Chaetothyriomycetidae produce a cleistothecium An ascocarp, or ascoma (), is the fruiting bod ...

, was erected to accommodate

Chaetothyriales The Chaetothyriales are an order of ascomycetous fungi in the class Eurotiomycetes and within the subclass Chaetothyriomycetidae. The order was circumscribed in 1987 by mycologist Margaret Elizabeth Barr-Bigelow. Families and genera , Species ...

and its sister group

Verrucariales Verrucariales is an order of ascomycetous fungi within the subclass Chaetothyriomycetidae of the class Eurotiomycetes. Although most of the Verrucariales are lichenised, the family Sarcopyreniaceae consists of 11 species of lichenicolous (lichen ...

, as well as

Pyrenulales The ''Pyrenulales'' are an order of ascomycetous fungi within the class Eurotiomycetes and within the subphylum Pezizomycotina. Taxonomy As of 2022 the order contains one family, 14 genera and around 296 species. *Order Pyrenulales **Family Pyre ...

since 2004. These two remain as the major subclasses of Eurotiomycetes. The remaining subclasses were created through more phylogenetic analyses to accommodate outlying

taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

or newly discovered groups:

Mycocaliciomycetidae The ''Mycocaliciales'' are an order of ascomycetous fungi within the subclass Mycocaliciomycetidae and within the class Eurotiomycetes (subphylum Pezizomycotina Pezizomycotina make up most of the Ascomycota fungi and include most lichenized f ...

in 2007,

Coryneliomycetidae The Coryneliales are an order of ascomycetous fungi within the monotypic subclass Coryneliomycetidae in the class Eurotiomycetes and within the subdivision Pezizomycotina. Species in this order are found almost exclusively in the tropics, primari ...

and

Sclerococcomycetidae The Dactylosporaceae or Sclerococcaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the class Eurotiomycetes. It is the only family of the order Sclerococcales and subclass Sclerococcomycetidae. Taxonomy There are currently seven genera in the fa ...

in 2016, and lastly

Cryptocaliciomycetidae ''Cryptocalicium'' is a single-species fungal genus of the order Eurotiomycetes that was circumscribed in 2021. It contains the species ''Cryptocalicium blascoi''. ''Cryptocalicium'' is the only genus in the monotypic family Cryptocaliciaceae, t ...

in 2021. The following cladogram shows the relationships between all Eurotiomycetes orders and

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

subclasses as of 2021:

External relationships

The class Eurotiomycetes forms a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

with

Lecanoromycetes Lecanoromycetes is the largest class of lichenized fungi. It belongs to the subphylum Pezizomycotina in the phylum Ascomycota. The asci (spore-bearing cells) of the Lecanoromycetes most often release spores by rostrate dehiscence. Genera of unc ...

, the largest lichenized class of fungi.

Taxonomy

As of 2022, the taxonomy of Eurotiomycetes recognizes 5 subclasses, 10 orders, 34 families and 289 valid genera. The families are listed here followed by the number of

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. :Subclass

::Order

:::Family Chaetothyriaceae – 19 genera :::Family Coccodiniaceae – 4 genera :::Family Cyphellophoraceae – 2 genera :::Family

Epibryaceae ''Epibryon'' is a genus of fungi, and the sole genus in the monogeneric family Epibryaceae. It has about 40 species. Many of the species grow parasitically on bryophytes. The genus was circumscribed by mycologist Peter Döbbeler in 1978; the fa ...

– 1 genus :::Family Herpotrichiellaceae – 17 genera :::Family Lyrommataceae – 1 genus :::Family Microtheliopsidaceae – 1 genus :::Family Paracladophialophoraceae – 1 genus :::Family Pyrenotrichaceae – 2 genera :::Family Trichomeriaceae (= Strelitzianaceae ) – 9 genera :::

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' – 11 genera ::Order Phaeomoniellales :::Family Celotheliaceae (= Phaeomoniellaceae ) – 11 genera ::Order

:::Family Pyrenulaceae – 12 genera :::

'' – 2 genera ::Order

:::Family Adelococcaceae – 3 genera :::Family Sarcopyreniaceae – 1 genera :::Family Verrucariaceae – 52 genera :::

'' – 4 genera ::

'' :::Family Rhynchostomataceae – 2 genera :Subclass

::Order Cryptocaliciales :::Family Cryptocaliciaceae – 1 genus :Subclass

::Order Coryneliales :::Family Coryneliaceae – 8 genera :::Family Eremascaceae – 2 genera :Subclass

::Order

:::Family Arachnomycetaceae – 2 genera ::Order

:::Family Aspergillaceae (=

Monascaceae Monascaceae is a family of fungi in the subclass Eurotiomycetidae. Genera According to Mycobank, Monascaceae is currently subdivided as follows: * '' Allescheria'' * '' Backusia'' * '' Basipetospora'' * '' Eurotiella'' * '' Fraseriella'' * ''Mo ...

) – 14 genera :::Family

Elaphomycetaceae The Elaphomycetaceae are a family of fungi in the order Eurotiales The Eurotiales are an order of sac fungi, also known as the green and blue molds. It was circumscribed in 1980. Classification Currently the order Eurotiales contains 5 fam ...

– 2 genera :::Family Penicillaginaceae – 1 genus :::Family Thermoascaceae – 2 genera :::Family

Trichocomaceae The Trichocomaceae are a family of fungi in the order Eurotiales. Taxa are saprobes with aggressive colonization strategies, adaptable to extreme environmental conditions. Family members are cosmopolitan in distribution, ubiquitous in soil, and ...

– 9 genera ::Order

:::Family Ajellomycetaceae – 7 genera :::Family

Arthrodermataceae The Arthrodermataceae are a family of fungi containing nine dermatophyte genera — '' Epidermophyton'', '' Microsporum'', ''Nannizzia'', ''Trichophyton ''Trichophyton'' is a genus of fungi, which includes the parasitic varieties that cause ...

– 11 genera :::Family

Ascosphaeraceae The Ascosphaeraceae are a family of fungi in the Ascomycota, class Eurotiomycetes Eurotiomycetes is a large class of ascomycetes with cleistothecial ascocarps within the subphylum Pezizomycotina, currently containing around 3810 species accor ...

– 3 genera :::Family

Gymnoascaceae The Gymnoascaceae are a family of fungi in the Ascomycota, class Eurotiomycetes Eurotiomycetes is a large class of ascomycetes with cleistothecial ascocarps within the subphylum Pezizomycotina, currently containing around 3810 species accordi ...

– 11 genera :::Family Nannizziopsidaceae – 1 genus :::Family

Onygenaceae The Onygenaceae are a family (biology), family of fungi in the Ascomycota, class Eurotiomycetes. Genera These are the genera that are in the Onygenaceae, according to a 2021 review of fungal classification. Following the genus name is the Author ...

– 34 genera :::Family Spiromastigaceae – 4 genera :::

'' – 3 genera ::

'' – 5 genera :Subclass

::Order

Mycocaliciales The ''Mycocaliciales'' are an order (biology), order of ascomycetous fungi within the subclass Mycocaliciomycetidae and within the class Eurotiomycetes (subphylum Pezizomycotina). References

Eurotiomycetes Ascomycota orders Taxa describe ...

:::Family

Mycocaliciaceae The Mycocaliciaceae are a family (biology), family of seven genus, genera and about 90 species of fungi in the order Mycocaliciales. Taxonomy Calicioid fungi are a heterogeneous assemblage of fungi sharing the presence of a mazaedium, a structur ...

Sphinctrinaceae The Sphinctrinaceae are a family of fungi in the order Mycocaliciales The ''Mycocaliciales'' are an order (biology), order of ascomycetous fungi within the subclass Mycocaliciomycetidae and within the class Eurotiomycetes (subphylum Pezizomyco ...

) – 7 genera :Subclass

::Order Sclerococcales :::Family Dactylosporaceae (= Sclerococcaceae ) – 7 genera Only one genus, '' Neocladophialophora'', remains ''

'' within the class.

Nomenclature

The

scientific classification Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

for this particular class is particularly tricky, with one particular species having both the

anamorph In mycology, the terms teleomorph, anamorph, and holomorph apply to portions of the life cycles of fungi in the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota: *Teleomorph: the sexual reproductive stage (morph), typically a fruiting body. *Anamorph: an ase ...

(asexual form), and

teleomorph In mycology, the terms teleomorph, anamorph, and holomorph apply to portions of the life cycles of fungi in the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota: *Teleomorph: the sexual reproductive stage (morph), typically a fruiting body. *Anamorph: an ase ...

(sexual form) names used in reference to them. *e.g. anamorph form = ''

Penicillium ''Penicillium'' () is a genus of ascomycetous fungi that is part of the mycobiome of many species and is of major importance in the natural environment, in food spoilage, and in food and drug production. Some members of the genus produce pe ...

''; teleomorph form = ''

Talaromyces ''Talaromyces'' is a genus of fungi in the family Trichocomaceae. Described in 1955 by American mycologist Chester Ray Benjamin, species in the genus form soft, cottony fruit bodies (ascocarps) with cell walls made of tightly interwoven hypha ...

'' or Eupenicillium.

Morphology

Many members (Eurotiales, Onygenales) produce an enclosed structure

cleistothecium An ascocarp, or ascoma (), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. Ascocarps are ...

within which they produce their spores.

References

External links

Outline of Ascomycota - 2007
{{Taxonbar, from=Q132180 Eurotiomycetes Fungus classes Lichen classes Taxa described in 1997