Dothideales are an
order of bitunicate fungi consisting mainly of saprobic or plant parasitic species.
Description
Taxa in this order are characterized by the absence of a hamathecium (defined as
hyphae or other tissues between
asci) in a
locule, and formation of ovoid to cylindrical fisstunicate asci (asci that have two wall layers that split at maturity in a
Jack-in-the-box
A jack-in-the-box is a children's toy that outwardly consists of a box with a crank. When the crank is turned, a music box mechanism in the toy plays a melody. After the crank has been turned a sufficient number of times (such as at the end ...
-like fashion), usually in bundles or cluster called fascicles. During development, the asci push through the stromatic tissue, creating the locules.
Classification
Until 2001, this order was thought to contain five families:
Botryosphaeriaceae,
Coccoidiaceae,
Doditheaceae,
Dothioraceae, and the
Planistromellaceae
The Planistromellaceae are a family of fungi with an uncertain taxonomic placement in the class Dothideomycetes
Dothideomycetes is the largest and most diverse class of ascomycete fungi. It comprises 11 orders 90 families, 1300 genera and ove ...
.
Several molecular phylogenetic studies since that time have resulted in an organization restructuring of classification. In the most recent revision of Ascomycota classification (December 31, 2007)
the Dothideales contains two families, the Dothidiaceae and the Dothioraceae. The Botryosphaeriaceae (order
Botryosphaeriales
The Botryosphaeriales are an order of sac fungi (Ascomycetes), placed under class Dothideomycetes. Some species are parasites, causing leaf spot, plant rot, die-back or cankers, but they can also be saprophytes or endophytes. They occur world- ...
) and the Planistromellaceae have been moved to order and family ''
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, uncertain ...
'', respectively, pending the acquisition and analysis of additional molecular data.
References
Ascomycota orders
Taxa described in 1897
Taxa named by Gustav Lindau
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