Halojulellaceae Suetrong, K.D. Hyde & E.B.G. Jones, Phytotaxa 130(1): 18 (2013).

MycoBank number: MB 803303; Index Fungorum number: IF 803303; Facesoffungi number: FoF 08245, 1 species.

Saprobic on wood in mangrove habitats. Sexual morph: Ascomata immersed, becoming erumpent or superficial, sphaeroid, short papillate, ostiolate, formed under a clypeus. Peridium 2- layered, thickened above with clypeal tissue, small and brown to black pseudoparenchymatous cells at outer layer, hyaline cells at inner layer. Hamathecium comprising simple, cellular, hypha-like, septate, pseudoparaphyses, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, clavate to cylindrical, with moderately long pedicel with clublike base, and distinctive apical apparatus. Ascospores 1–2-seriate, asymmetric or nearly symmetric, ellipsoid, hyaline or pale golden brown at maturity, muriform, constricted at the septa, smooth or verruculose, thin-walled, surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath, guttulate. Asexual morph: Coelomycetous, phoma-like. Pycnidia in culture brown, thin-walled, with an ostiolate. Conidiophores filiform, septate, branched. Conidia ellipsoidal, hyaline, aseptate, thin-walled, with guttulate.

Type – Halojulella Suetrong, K.D. Hyde & E.B.G. Jones

Notes – Halojulellaceae was established by Ariyawansa et al. (2013a) to accommodate Halojulella avicenniae (= Julella avicenniae). The morphological characters of this family fit well with most families of Pleosporales having bitunicate and fissitunicate asci as well as cellular pseudoparaphyses among their asci and uniloculate ascomata. However, Halojulellaceae is recognized as a distinct family in Pleosporals based on its immersed, medium-sized ascomata, with pseudoparenchymatous peridial cells, broad cellular pseudoparaphyses, asci with a distinctive apical apparatus, containing hyaline to pale, golden brown, muriform ascospores and a marine habitat (Zhang et al. 2012b, Ariyawansa et al. 2013a). Julella is polyphyletic with some species referred to Trypetheliaceae (Nelsen et al. 2011). Harris (1995) and Aptroot et al. (2008) suggested that some Julella species are closely related to or even part of Arthopyrenia. Halojulella is a monotypic genus in Halojulellaceae and further collections and sequence data are required to resolve the taxonomic assignment of other Julella species.

Genera