Serenomyces Petr., Sydowia 6(1–4): 296 (1952b)
Index Fungorum number: IF 5008; MycoBank number: MB 5008; Facesoffungi number: FoF 06272; 4 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2020), 1 species with sequence data.
Type species – Serenomyces shearii Petr.
Notes – Serenomyces (Petrak 1952b) was described based on S. shearii from a dead palm leaf of Serenoa serrulata collected in Florida, and other Serenomyces species occur only in association with palms (Arecaceae). The genus causes leaf disease and rachis/petiole blight (Elliott & Des Jardin 2014). Serenomyces was placed in Ceratostomataceae by Petrak (1952b) because of evanescent asci and elongated neck, in Melanosporaceae by von Arx & Müller (1954), and tentatively assigned in Phyllachoraceae by Barr et al. (1989). Hyde et al. (1997a) included Serenomyces in Phaeochoraceae because of immersed ascomata in pseudostromatic tissues and paraphyses. Barr et al. (1989) revised Serenomyces and accepted four species, and later included S. virginiae (Barr et al. 1997). Serenomyces californica was transferred to Cocoicola californica (Hyde & Cannon 1999). Serenomyces is presumed as biotrophic, and it is difficult to culture strains from palm tissues. Elliott & Des Jardin (2014) obtained cultures and provided molecular data for three Serenomyces species, which were isolated from palm leaves. Serenomyces is characterized by immersed ascomata or stromata with elongated neck, evanescent asci and ovoid or fusiform, pale brown and aseptate ascospores (Hyde & Cannon 1999).
Species
Serenomyces shearii