A new family of freshwater ascomycetes

Abstract

Studies of freshwater fungi over the last ten years have resulted in the discovery of numerous new ascomycetes with various sheath and appendage types. Many of the unitunicate representatives have asci with a relatively massive apical ring. Several species have been reexamined at the ultrastructural level and a new family, the Annulatascaceae, was introduced to accommodate these fungi. The ontogeny of ascospore and sheath/appendage development has also been found to differ between taxa and has shown the family to comprise several genera. The family placement near to the Sordariales has been confirmed by analysis of molecular data.