The Xylariaceae are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of mostly small ascomycetous fungi. It is one of the most commonly encountered groups of ascomycetes and is found throughout the

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

and

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

regions of the world. They are typically found on wood, seeds, fruits, or plant leaves, some even associated with insect nests. Most decay wood and many are plant

pathogen In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...

s. One example of this family is King Alfred's Cake (''

Daldinia concentrica The inedible fungus ''Daldinia concentrica'' is known by several common names, including King Alfred's cake, cramp balls, and coal fungus. As with other fungi the light spores are distributed globally and the fungi develop wherever conditions ar ...

''). Phylogenetic analyses published in 2009 suggest that there are two main lineages in this family, Hypoxyloideae and Xylarioideae.

Genera

This is a complete list of genera in the Xylariaceae, based on the 2007 Outline of Ascomycota. A question mark before the genus name indicates that the placement of that taxon in this family is uncertain. '' Amphirosellinia'' — '' Annulohypoxylon'' — '' Anthostomella'' — '' Appendixia'' — '' Areolospora'' — ?'' Ascotricha'' — '' Ascovirgaria'' — '' Astrocystis'' — '' Barrmaelia'' — '' Biscogniauxia'' — '' Calceomyces'' — '' Camillea'' — '' Chaenocarpus'' — '' Collodiscula'' — '' Creosphaeria'' — '' Cyanopulvis'' — '' Daldinia'' — '' Discoxylaria'' — ?'' Emarcea'' — ''

Engleromyces ''Engleromyces'' is a genus of fungi in the family Xylariaceae. The genus contains two species, the type ''Engleromyces goetzei'' (found in Africa and Asia) and ''E. sinensis'' (found in China), described as new in 2010. The genus was circ ...

'' — '' Entoleuca'' — '' Entonaema'' — '' Euepixylon'' — '' Fasciatispora'' — '' Fassia'' — '' Gigantospora'' — '' Guestia'' — '' Halorosellinia'' — '' Helicogermslita'' — '' Holttumia'' — '' Hypocopra'' — ''

Hypoxylon ''Hypoxylon'' is a genus of ascomycetes commonly found on dead wood, and usually one of the earliest species to colonise dead wood. A common European species is ''Hypoxylon fragiforme'' which is particular common on dead trunks of beech. Based o ...

'' — '' Induratia'' — '' Jumillera'' — '' Kretzschmaria'' — '' Kretzschmariella'' — '' Leprieuria'' — ?'' Leptomassaria'' — '' Lopadostoma'' — '' Muscodor'' — '' Myconeesia'' — '' Nemania'' — '' Nipicola'' — '' Obolarina'' — '' Occultitheca'' — '' Ophiorosellinia'' — '' Pandanicola'' — '' Paramphisphaeria'' — ?'' Paucithecium'' — '' Phylacia'' — '' Pidoplitchkoviella'' — '' Podosordaria'' — '' Poroleprieuria'' — '' Poronia'' — '' Pyrenomyxa (=Pulveria)'' — '' Rhopalostroma'' — '' Rosellinia'' — '' Sabalicola'' — '' Sarcoxylon'' — ?'' Sclerodermatopsis'' — ?''

Seynesia ''Seynesia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Cainiaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Pier Andrea Saccardo in Syll. Fungorum vol.2 on page 668 in 1883. The genus name of ''Seynesia'' is in honour of Jules de Seynes (1833–1912), who was a F ...

'' — '' Spirodecospora'' — '' Stereosphaeria'' — '' Stilbohypoxylon'' — '' Striatodecospora'' — '' Stromatoneurospora'' — '' Thamnomyces'' — '' Theissenia'' — ''

Thuemenella ''Thuemenella'' is a genus of fungi in the family Hypoxylaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 1898 by Albert Julius Otto Penzig and Pier Andrea Saccardo. The genus name of ''Thuemenella'' is in honour of Felix von Thümen (1839–1892), who w ...

'' — '' Vivantia'' — '' Wawelia'' — '' Whalleya'' — ''

Xylaria ''Xylaria'' is a genus of ascomycetous fungi commonly found growing on dead wood. The name comes from the Greek ''xýlon'' meaning ''wood'' (see xylem). Two of the common species of the genus are ''Xylaria hypoxylon'' and '' Xylaria polymorp ...

'' — '' Xylocoremium'' — '' Xylotumulus''

References

* ''Xylaria'' website managed by Jack D. Rogers, Yu-Ming Ju and Michael J. Adams: http://mycology.sinica.edu.tw/xylariaceae/default.asp Xylariales Taxa named by Edmond Tulasne {{Xylariales-stub