Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #93795
Title: CLASSIFICATION OF THE MYCOPARASITE GLIOCLADIUM ROSEUM IN CLONOSTACHYS AS C. ROSEA, ITS RELATIONSHIP TO BIONECTRIA OCHROLEUCA, AND NOTES ON OTHER GLIOCLADIUM-LIKE FUNGI

Author
item SCHROERS, HANS-JOSEF - SCHIMMELCULTURES
item Samuels, Gary
item SEIFERT, KEITH - AGRICULTURE CANADA
item GAMS, WALTER - SCHIMMELCULTURES

Submitted to: Mycologia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/13/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Fungi that attack other fungi are known as mycoparasites and are used in the biological control of plant pathogenic fungi. Accurate systematic knowledge of such biocontrol fungi is essential for their development and effective use. Many species of microfungi have not been carefully studied to determine their accurate systematic placement at the genus level. One such mycoparasite that is commonly used in the biological control of wilt diseases of plants grown in greenhouses has been misclassified. Based on this research the biocontrol fungus is shown to be most closely related to a group of fungi also used in biological control. Both the sexual and asexual states are described and illustrated based on the newly designated type strains. This work will be used by those seeking to discover, identify and develop fungi that are effective as biological control agents of plant pathogens.

Technical Abstract: Because the common soil fungus and mycoparasite Gliocladium roseum differs from the type species of Gliocladium, G. penicillioides, in morphology, ecology, teleomorph, and DNA sequence data, it is classified in a separate genus, Clonostachys. Penicillium roseum is the oldest available name for G. roseum and is recombined as C. rosea. Penicillium roseum, described from potato in Germany, is neotypified by a conidial isolate originating from a fungal substratum in European soil. By choosing this strain as neotype for P. roseum the epithet is formally linked to the common soil fungus used in the biocontrol of fungal plant pathogens. The anamorph of Bionectria ochroleuca (Hypocreales) is morphologically indistinguishable from C. rosea; both morphs are redescribed. Bionectria is generically distinct from Nectria s. str. and the appropriate genus for species of the Nectria ochroleuca group. The anamorph genus Gliocladium s. str. is associated with teleomorphs in Sphaerostilbella and Hypocrea series Pallidae. With the separation of Clonostachys from Gliocladium and Bionectria from Nectria the generic classification reflects natural relationships. A generic circumscription is proposed for Clonostachys and compared with Gliocladium. Nectriopsis sporangiicola and Roumegueriella rufula are related to Bionectria but have distinct Gliocladium-like anamorphs. Based on morphological features, a new anamorph genus, Rhopalocladium, is proposed for the anamorph of N. sporangiicola. The anamorph of Roumergueriella rufula is generally found in associatin with the teleomorph and is referred to as Gliocladium-like.