Fungi imperfecti hyphomycetes. Coloniae variabiles atrae tenuiter velutinae. Mycelium superficiale ex hyphis ramosis, plus minusve cylindricis, brunneis vel atrobrunneis, anastomosantibus compositum. Conidiophora macronemata dispersa vel in funiculis laxis aggregata, subulata, apicem versus ramis ramulisque oppositis vel unilateralibus. Cellulae conidiogenae ovoideae vel obpyriformes vel subconicae, plerumque monoblasticae, solitariae discretaeque vel successive in conidiophoris integratae. Cicatrices aliae scissae et lunatae ob prolificationem partim percurrentem partim per parietem lateralem sub cicatrice, aliae aliquando laterales, rotundatae, subdenticulatae. Conidia solitaria, obclavata vel subcylindrica, brunnea, tenuitunicata, laevia vel verrucosa, aliquando longitudinaliter striata, (1-)2- multiseptata, cicatrice plana vel denticulata praedita.

ETYMOLOGY: The genus is named for the late Dr Lilian Fraser as further recognition of her insightful studies on sooty moulds of New South Wales, Australia.
NOTES: In the circumscription of Capnofrasera, particular emphasis is placed on its sooty mould mode of existence with the hyphae entirely superficial. Several congeneric but extralimital species remain to be described.
Capnofrasera shows some resemblance to Dendryphiopsis S.Hughes, Paradendryphiopsis M.Ellis, and Sporidesmiopsis Subramanian & Bhat, but these three genera have immersed hyphae and can be distinguished by some other features. Dendryphiopsis species have conidiogenous cells that are monotretic, solitary, and lateral and terminate the growth of main stalk and branches of conidiophores, and conidia are thick-walled. In Paradendryphiopsis species, conidiophores somewhat resemble those of Dendryphiopsis but conidia are thin-walled and in acropetal chains. Sporidesmiopsis species have cylindrical to doliiform, monoblastic conidiogenous cells that proliferate percurrently.

SPECIES TYPICA: Capnofrasera dendryphioides.