Author
Rossman, Amy | |
Castlebury, Lisa | |
Farr, David |
Submitted to: Mycological International Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 6/24/2002 Publication Date: 7/10/2002 Citation: Rossman, A.Y., Castlebury, L.A., Farr, D.F. 2002. DEVELOPING PHYLOGENIES FOR INTEGRATING MITOTIC FUNGI IN THE HYPOCREALES AND DIAPORTHALES. Mycological International Conference Proceedings. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Recent comprehensive studies of the Hypocreales and Diaporthales using both morphological and molecular characters present the opportunity to integrate the mitotic fungi and to evaluate character evolution of both teleomorphic and anamorphic states. The majority of plant-associated fungi are mitotic species without any known sexual state and limited morphology. Using molecular sequence data it is possible to integrate the mitotic fungi into the Hypocreales and Diaporthales and to demonstrate that a vast number of mitotic fungi are derived from within these sexual state lineages. In the Hypocreales, the mitotic fungi tend to be hyphomycetous with the exception of the Clavicipitaceae while in the Diaporthales they are primarily coelomycetous. Despite considerable effort, some mitotic species cannot be closely linked with sexual states or even families and thus appear to represent divergent lineages. The character evolution within the Hypocreales and Diaporthales appear similar with fruiting bodies ranging from solitary perithecia to compound stromata, often characteristic of specific families. Ascospore morphology is also characteristic of specific families although exceptions exist in each family. Biologically the Diaporthales appear to be confined to plant substrata often as virulent plant pathogens in temperate regions while the Hypocreales fill much broader niches attacking insects and other fungi as well as plant substrata with their greatest diversity in tropical regions. |