Obryzaceae Körb., Syst. lich. germ. (Breslau): 427 (1855)

MycoBank number: MB 81075; Index Fungorum number: IF 81075; Facesoffungi number: FoF 05205; 3 species.

Mainly lichenicolous with green algae on rocks or bark and seldom on mosses. Sexual morph: Ascomata perithecial, pyriform, astromatic, immersed. Ostiole periphysate. Peridium hyaline with ostiolar region appearing light brown at times. Asci 4-8-spored, unitunicate, clavate, closely ellipsoid to ovoid, short-pedicellate, with barely visible apical ring, deliquescent at the base. Ascospores overlapping 1–2-seriate, hyaline, aseptate, smooth-walled, fusiform to limoniform or ellipsoid, lacking any mucilaginous sheath or appendages. Asexual morph: Undetermined (adapted from Cannon & Kirk 2007, Maharachchikumbura et al. 2016b).

Type genus – Obryzum Wallr.

Notes – Obryzaceae is an insufficiently studied family which has been closely associated with plant pathogenic taxa in Gnomoniaceae, although it was mainly mentioned in lichenological studies (McNeill et al. 2006). Gnomoniaceae was subsequently recommended for conservation by Hawksworth & Eriksson (1988) with rejection of Obryzaceae and this suggestion was acknowledged by McNeill et al. (2006). However, members in Gnomoniaceae can be distinguished as the latter have ascomata with minimally developed stroma and most often, the ascospores are small, typically less than 25 µm and aseptate or one-septate either at the median or excentric position (Sogonov et al. 2008). Furthermore, the host substrates for Gnomoniaceae range from leaves, twigs and stems from herbaceous plants to bark or wood (Sogonov et al. 2008). Lumbsch & Huhndorf (2010) listed Obryzaceae in Sordariomycetes, families incertae sedis, which was followed by Maharachchikumbura et al. (2015). Later, it was excluded from Sordariomycetes, families incertae sedis (Maharachchikumbura et al. 2016b). Furthermore, based on the ICN Article 36.1, the name Obryzaceae is invalid since Körber (1855) established this family name “ad int.”. Its validation should be attributed to Eriksson (1981.

Genera