Introduction to Fungi, Third Edition

686 ANAMORPHIC FUNGI
distribution. An excellent guide to the group
has been written by Ingold (1975) himself, and
Webster and Descals (1981) have provided keys
to the then-known species. Over 300 species
have been described so far. Two common spore
shapes can be recognized the tetraradiate or
branched conidium, and the sigmoid or steephelix
type. Both types of spore may develop
in a variety of different ways, and it is clear
that these spore shapes represent a number of
separate lines of convergent evolution. Evidence
for the view that tetraradiate and sigmoid
propagules have evolved independently several
times is provided by (1) developmental studies,
(2) anamorph teleomorph connections, and
(3) observations of the occurrence of
tetraradiate propagules in unrelated aquatic
organisms.
Table 25.2 lists some of the connections
between aquatic hyphomycetes and different
groups of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. It is
obvious that some anamorph genera, e.g.
Tricladium or Anguillospora, are unnatural (polyphyletic),
i.e. they are not made up of related
species. The teleomorphs for which connections
have been established develop more readily on
submerged or partially submerged wood than on
leaves, although a few leaf-borne teleomorphic
states have been described. The pleomorphic
nature of Ingoldian fungi, as in other fungal
groups, presents problems of nomenclature.
Strictly, the name adopted should be that of
Table 25.2. Examples of the taxonomic diversity of Ingoldian fungi (based on Webster, 1992 and Descals
et al., 1998).
Anamorph genus Teleomorph genus Taxonomic affinity
Branched conidial Ascomycota
Actinosporella Miladina Pezizales
Anavirga Vibrissea Helotiales
Articulospora Hymenoscyphus Helotiales
Casaresia Mollisia Helotiales
Clavariopsis Massarina Dothideales (Loculoascomycetes)
Dwayaangam Orbilia Orbiliaceae
Geniculospora Hymenoscyphus Helotiales
Tricladium
Hymenoscyphus,
Helotiales
Hydrocina,Cudoniella
Varicosporium Hymenoscyphus Helotiales
Branched conidial Basidiomycota
Taeniomyces Fibulomyces Polyporoid clade (Homobasidiomycetes)
Ingoldiella Sistotrema Polyporoid clade (Homobasidiomycetes)
Crucella Camptobasidium Atractiellales (Urediniomycetes)
Sigmoid conidial Ascomycota
Anguillospora
Mollisia, Pezoloma,
Helotiales
Hymenoscyphus, Loramyces
Anguillospora Orbilia Orbiliaceae
Anguillospora Massarina Dothideales (Loculoascomycetes)
Flagellospora Nectria Hypocreales (Pyrenomycetes)
Conidial Ascomycota of other shapes
Heliscus,Cylindrocarpon Nectria Hypocreales (Pyrenomycetes)
Dimorphospora Hymenoscyphus Helotiales
Tumularia Massarina Dothideales (Loculoascomycetes)