Thanatephorus

Teleomorphs

In 1956, Dutch mycologist M.A. Donk published the new teleomorphic genera Thanatephorus and Uthatobasidium simultaneously, reserving the former for plant-pathogenic species producing sclerotia-bearing Rhizoctonia anamorphs (with T. cucumeris as the type) and the latter for saprotrophic species not producing anamorphs (with U. fusisporum as the type). In 1996, on the basis of their similar morphology, the two genera were considered to be synonymous by K. Hauerslev and P. Roberts. in 1970 Svrček & Pouzar introduced the genus Cejpomyces for a species resembling Thanatephorus, but having septate basidiospores. Based on their similar morphology, the genera were considered synonymous by Langer (1994). In 1971 Talbot & Keane introduced the genus Oncobasidium for a plant pathogenic species resembling Thanatephorus but lacking sclerotia and in 1972 M.A. Donk introduced the genus Ypsilondium for a species resembling Uthatobasidium but having bisterigmate (two-spored) basidia. Both genera were considered synonyms of Thanatephorus by Roberts (1999). In 1978 Tu & Kimbrough introduced the genus Aquathanatephorus for an isolate from water hyacinth which produced a teleomorph with swollen, inwardly curving sterigmata. This was redetermined as Thanatephorus cucumeris by Andersen (1996).