Phaeochoraceae K.D. Hyde, P.F. Cannon & M.E. Barr. Syst. Ascom. 15(1–2):118 (1997)
Index Fungorum number: IF 81916; MycoBank number: MB 81916; Facesoffungi number: FoF 01910; 17 species.
Saprobic or biotrophic on palm leaves. Sexual morph: Stromata as blackened regions scattered on the host, usually raised above the substrate surface, rarely inconspicuous, one or multi-loculate. Ascomata ellipsoidal to subglobose, dark brown, clustered and fusing to form multi- ostiolate cavity or solitary with one ostiole. Ostiole conspicuous or inconspicuous. Peridium several layered, composed of flattened, brown to dark brown-walled cells, thinner at the base. Paraphyses wide, cylindrical hypha-like, septate, thin-walled, evanescent early. Asci 6–8-spored, unitunicate, saccate or fusiform, with long or short pedicellate, very thin-walled, usually without apical structures, deliquescing early. Ascospores uniseriate to biseriate, various shades of brown, ellipsoidal, fusiform or cylindrical, aseptate, thick-walled, sometimes with one flattened face, sometimes delicately striated, with or without appendages. Asexual morph: Coelomycetous. Conidiogenous cells narrowly conical, usually percurrently proliferating, but occasionally sympodially proliferating, with periclinal thickening, without a collarette. Conidia aseptate, narrowly fusiform to bacillary, hyaline, thin-walled (adapted from Cannon 1992, Hyde et al. 1997a, Taylor & Hyde 2003, Maharachchikumbura et al. 2016b).
Type genus – Phaeochora Höhn.
Notes – Phaeochoraceae was introduced by Hyde et al. (1997a) to accommodate the genera Cocoicola, Phaeochora and Serenomyces. Phaeochoropsis was subsequently included in Phaeochoraceae. Species of Phaeochoraceae are biotrophic and saprobic on palms (Arecaceae), and characterized by a well-developed stroma and usually form tar spots. Phaeochoraceae was previously assigned to Phyllachorales mainly because of its stromatic characteristics. Mardones et al. (2017) showed the phylogenetic placement of Phaeochoraceae in Phyllachorales.