Byssolophis Clem., The genera of Fungi 83: 286 (1931).
MycoBank number: MB 706; Index Fungorum number: IF 706; Facesoffungi number: FoF 06225; 2 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2020), 1 species with molecular data (Schoch et al. 2009, Zhang et al. 2009).
Type species – Byssolophis byssiseda (Flageolet & Chenant.) Clem., The genera of Fungi: 286 (1931).
≡ Schizostoma byssisedum Flageolet & Chenant., in Chenantaise, Bull. Soc. mycol. Fr. 35: 125 (1919).
Notes – Taxonomy of Byssolophis has long been controversial. The genus was included in Lophiostomataceae (von Arx & Müller 1975, Barr 1979a, Lumbsch & Huhndorf 2010), but it was referred to Pleosporales genera incertae sedis based on molecular data by Schoch et al. (2009a) and Zhang et al. (2009c, 2012b). Pem et al. (2019b) accepted Byssolophis in Tetraplosphaeriaceae based on morphology and phylogenetic analyses. Byssolophis is characterized by superficial or immersed, carbonaceous, glabrous ascomata with a slit-like ostiole, 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, short-pedicellate asci with an ocular chamber, and overlapping 2-seriate, fusiform to cylindrical, 1–3-septate, hyaline to pale brown ascospore surrounded by a narrow appendagelike sheath (Pem et al. 2019b). Asexual morph of Byssolophis has not been reported.