Asterinaceae Hansf., Mycol. Pap. 15: 188 (1946).
MycoBank number: MB 80492; Index Fungorum: IF 80492; Facesoffungi number: FoF 06726, >1000 species.
Colonies epiphyllous or hypophyllous. Hyphae superficial, straight to substraight, dark brown, reticulate, with appressoria. Appressoria 1-celled, mostly lateral, alternate to unilateral. Sextual morph: Thyriothecia superficial, flattened, with stellate or longitudinal dehiscence. Upper walls brown, comprising radial, septate cells of textura prismatica. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, ellipsoid, usually thickened at the apex. Hamathecium cellular pseudoparaphyses present or absent. Ascospores 2–5-seriate or fasciculate or conglobate, fusoid to ellipsoid, hyaline to dark brown, mostly 1-septate, smooth-walled or toughened. Asexual morph: Coelomycetous states with pycnidia or pycnothyria, and hyphomycetous states without conidiomata or sporodochia then gelatinous, pale. Hyphae brown, superficial, with appressoria. Conidiomata pycnothyria, flattened, dimidiate, radiate, orbicular, stellately dehisced at the centre. Conidiophores branched or unbranched, hyaline or brown. Conidiogenous cells monoblastic or percurrent, hyaline or brown. Conidia ovate, pyriform, angular, or wall straight to sinuate, brown.
Type: Asterina Lév.
Notes: Asterinaceae was established as a member of Microthyriales by Hansford (1946). Members of the family typically have upper walls comprising radiating cells with starlike or longitudinal splits and dark brown hyphae with appressoria. There are 18 genera in this family based on morphology (Hongsanan et al. 2014b; Guatimosim et al. 2015; Wijayawardene et al. 2017a; Dai et al. 2018). Although Wijayawardene et al. (2017a) included Echidnodes in Asterinaceae, we exclude it from Asterinaceae as Hongsanan et al. (2014b) transferred this genus to Aulographaceae. Phylogenetic studies have several different interpretations of this family. In this study, we reappraise the phylogenetic relationship of Asterinaceae and related families based on all available sequence data and previous studies.
The Asterinaceae is a family of small, obligately biotrophic ascomycetes that are associated with the living leaves of a broad range of plants from tropical and subtropical regions (Kirk et al. 2001; Barr and Huhndorf 2001; Taylor et al. 2005; Hofmann et al. 2010; Hyde et al. 2013). The important features of Asterinaceae are the superficial, black, web-like colonies that form on the upper and lower surface of leaves, and hyphae with appressoria, forming haustoria that infects host tissue.
Key to genera of Asterinaceae
1. Thyriothecia superficial, easily removed from the host surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
1. Thyriothecia superficial to erumpent, not easily removed from the host surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asterotexis
2. Outline of thyriothecia circular to subcircular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
2. Thyriothecia elongated or longitudinal with X- or Y-shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3. Thyriothecia with hyphae of different lengths at the margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.Thyriotheciawith a neatmargin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
4. Thyriothecia opening with star-like fissures, or centre ostiole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4. Thyriothecium widely opening with irregular fissures whenwet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parasterinopsis
5. Hyphae without appressoria, strongly constricted and dark at the septa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vizellopsis
5. Hyphae with appressoria, not constricted at septa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meliolaster
6.Hyphaewithout setae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6.Hyphaewith setae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trichasterina
7.Hyphaewith appressoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7.Hyphaewithout appressoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8.Pseudoparaphyses present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .9
8.Pseudoparaphyses not observed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .10
9. Acospores brown, 3-septate, with smaller ends cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Batistinula
9. Ascospores light-brown to hyaline, 1-septate, upper
cell with rough walls, lower cell with smoothwalled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asterinella
10. Ascospores 1-septate, rough-walled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Trichopeltospora
10. Ascospores 1-septate, slightly smooth-walled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 11
11. Ascospores ellipsoid to oval, 2–3-seriate in globose to subglobose asci . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .12
11. Apiosporous, uniseriate in clavate to cylindrical asci . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Platypeltella
12. Ascospores hyaline to brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asterina
12. Ascospores light brown to reddish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prillieuxina
13. Asciwith ocular chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schenckiella
13. Asci without ocular chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 14
14. Ascospores fusiform, 3–5 septate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Halbania
14. Ascospores slightly curved, elongate or fusoid, 1-septate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uleothyrium
15. Hyphaewith appressoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 16
15. Hyphae lacking appressoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Echidnodella
16. Hyphae with intercalary appressoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cirsosia
16. Hyphaewith lateral,mostly conical appressoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lembosia