Abstract The phylogenetic relationships of Lasiosphaeriaceae are complicated in that the family is paraphyletic and includes Sordariaceae and Chaetomiaceae, as well as several polyphyletic genera. This study focuses on the phylogenetic relationships of the coprophilous genera, Anopodium, Apodospora, Arnium, Fimetariella and Zygospermella. They are traditionally circumscribed based on ascospore characters, which have proven homoplasious in other genera within the family. Our results based on LSU nrDNA and ß–tubulin sequences distinguish four lineages of Lasiosphaeriaceae taxa. Anopodium joins the clade of morphologically similar, yellow-pigmented species of Cercophora and Lasiosphaeria. Apodospora is monophyletic and joins a larger group of taxa with unclear affinities to each other, while Arnium is polyphyletic being scattered throughout three of the four major clades of Lasiosphaeriaceae. Fimitariella is represented by a single collection and joins the clade containing Cercophora scortea and Podospora appendiculata. Zygospermella shows affinities to the Lasiosphaeris clade. Based on a combination of morphological and molecular data, Echria stat. nov.isrecognizedatthe genus level for the former Arnium sectionandtwonew combinations are proposed: E. gigantospora and E. macrotheca.

Abstract The phylogenetic relationships of Lasiosphaeriaceae are complicated in that the family is paraphyletic and includes Sordariaceae and Chaetomiaceae, as well as several polyphyletic genera. This study focuses on the phylogenetic relationships of the coprophilous genera, Anopodium, Apodospora, Arnium, Fimetariella and Zygospermella. They are traditionally circumscribed based on ascospore characters, which have proven homoplasious in other genera within the family. Our results based on LSU nrDNA and ß–tubulin sequences distinguish four lineages of Lasiosphaeriaceae taxa. Anopodium joins the clade of morphologically similar, yellow-pigmented species of Cercophora and Lasiosphaeria. Apodospora is monophyletic and joins a larger group of taxa with unclear affinities to each other, while Arnium is polyphyletic being scattered throughout three of the four major clades of Lasiosphaeriaceae. Fimitariella is represented by a single collection and joins the clade containing Cercophora scortea and Podospora appendiculata. Zygospermella shows affinities to the Lasiosphaeris clade. Based on a combination of morphological and molecular data, Echria stat. nov.isrecognizedatthe genus level for the former Arnium sectionandtwonew combinations are proposed: E. gigantospora and E. macrotheca.

Note: Echria gigantospora and E. macrotheca are morphologically similar in that both have ascomata covered with long pointed tufts of agglutinated rigid hairs and striated gelatinous sheaths that swell in water and surround their ascospores. They differ in that E. gigantospora has larger (84–126×20–34 μm), fusiform spores with a roughened spore wall (Raja and Shearer 2006), while E. macrotheca (Fig. 3o-q) has smaller (43–54×20–29 μm), ellipsoidal spores (Lundqvist 1972). They also seem to prefer different substrates as E. gigantospora is described from submerged wood, while E. macrotheca is coprophilous.

Abstract The phylogenetic relationships of Lasiosphaeriaceae are complicated in that the family is paraphyletic and includes Sordariaceae and Chaetomiaceae, as well as several polyphyletic genera. This study focuses on the phylogenetic relationships of the coprophilous genera, Anopodium, Apodospora, Arnium, Fimetariella and Zygospermella. They are traditionally circumscribed based on ascospore characters, which have proven homoplasious in other genera within the family. Our results based on LSU nrDNA and ß–tubulin sequences distinguish four lineages of Lasiosphaeriaceae taxa. Anopodium joins the clade of morphologically similar, yellow-pigmented species of Cercophora and Lasiosphaeria. Apodospora is monophyletic and joins a larger group of taxa with unclear affinities to each other, while Arnium is polyphyletic being scattered throughout three of the four major clades of Lasiosphaeriaceae. Fimitariella is represented by a single collection and joins the clade containing Cercophora scortea and Podospora appendiculata. Zygospermella shows affinities to the Lasiosphaeris clade. Based on a combination of morphological and molecular data, Echria stat. nov.isrecognizedatthe genus level for the former Arnium sectionandtwonew combinations are proposed: E. gigantospora and E. macrotheca.