Genera of Bionectriaceae, Hypocreaceae and Nectriaceae (Hypocreales, Ascomycetes)

The Hypocreales with over one thousand described species have been the repo sitory for all light- to bright-colored, soft-textured, perithecial ascomyc etes with a Nectria-type centrum. Rogerson (1970) published a key to the ge nera in the Hypocreales and accepted over 115 genera with 26 generic synony ms in the order. Since then, 58 genera have been added. For this study all available type specimens of the type species of genera classified in the Hy pocreales were examined. Fifty six genera, including six newly described ge nera with 43 generic synonyms, are accepted in three families, Bionectriace ae fam. nov., Hypocreaceae and Nectriaceae, of the order. Although now cons idered either part of or closely related to the Hypocreales, neither the Ni essliaceae nor the Clavicipitaceae are treated comprehensively in this stud y. Fourteen genera with two generic synonyms are included in the Niessliace ae and six genera with one generic synonym are placed in the Clavicipitacea e. The remaining 84 genera are excluded from the Hypocreales and redisposed in their appropriate family and order. Genera excluded from the Bionectria ceae, Hypocreaceae, and Nectriaceae are described and illustrated based on their type species. For 16 genera previously placed in the Hypocreales the type specimen was either not located or not sufficient to make a modern tax onomic evaluation of the type species. For each genus the type species and species not recently treated are fully described and documented. A key to species is presented unless a recent key to species in that genus is available. In the Bionectriaceae a new genus, Ochronectria, is introduced for Nectria calami. Nectriella minuter, N. rubricapitula, N. utahensis, Pronectria echi nulata, P. pertusariicola, and Protocreopsis viridis are described as new s pecies. The following new specific combinations are proposed: Dimerosporiel la cephalosporii, D. guarapiensis, D. leucorrhodina, D. oidioides, D. piper icola, and D. sensitiva; Hydropisphaera arenula, H. arenuloides, H. boothii , H. cyatheae, H. dolichospora, H. erubescens, H. gigantea, H. haematites, H. hypoxantha, H. leucotricha, H. macrarenula, H. multiloculata, H. multise ptata, H. nymaniana, H. pachyderma, and H. suffulta; Ijuhya peristomialis, I. chilensis, I. qauifolii, I. bambusina, I. corynespora, I. dentifera, I. dictyospora, I. leucocarpa, I. paraparilis, and I. parilis; Lasionectria sy lvana and L. vulpina; Nectriella curtisii, N. dakotensis, and N. galii; Nec triopsis sasae and N. queletii; Ochronectria calami; Peethambara spirostria ta and for its anamorph Didymostilbe echinofibrosa, Protocreopsis foliicola , P. freycinetiae, P. javanica, P. pertusa, P. pertusoides, and P. phormiic ola; Stilbocrea gracilipes and S. impressa. Two new names, Nectriella croua nii for Nectria aurea P. & H. Crouan, and N. halonata for Charonectria umbe lliferarum, are proposed. In the Nectriaceae five new genera are introduced: Albonectria for species related with Nectria rigidiuscula, Haematonectria for the Nectria haematoco cca complex, Lanatonectria for the Nectria flavolanata-group, Rubrinectria for a species previously known as Nectria olivacea, and Viridispora for tel eomorphs of Penicillifer. Cosmospora dingleyae and C. obscura are described as new species. The following new specific combinations are proposed: Albo nectria rigidiuscula, A. albosuccinea, and A. verrucosa; Corallomycetella r epens and C. jatrophae; Cosmospora aurantiicola, C. biasolettiana, C. camel liae, C. chaetopsinae, C. chaetopsinae-catenulatae, C. chaetopsinae-penicil latae, C. chaetopsinae-polyblastiae, C. chlorina, C. censors, C. digitalico la, C. diminuta, C. diploa, C. episphaeria, C, flammea, C. flavoviridis, C. ganymede, C. geastroides, C. glabra, C. joca, C. jucundula, C. kurdica, C. lasiodiplodiae, C. leptosphaeriae, C. macrochaetopsinae, C. magnusiana, C. meliopsicola, C. metepisphaeria, C. nothepisphaeria, C. papilionacearum, C . peponum, C. pseudepisphaeria, C. pseudoflavoviridis, C. purtonii, C. rick ii, C. rishbethii, C. rubrisetosa, C. sansevieriae, C. stilbellae, C. stilb osporae, C. thujana, C. triqua, C. tungurahuana, C. vilior, C. viliuscula, C. wegeliana, and C. xanthostroma; Haematonectria haematococca, H. illudens , H. ipomoeae, H. monilifera, and H. termitum; Lanatonectria flocculenta wi th anamorph Actinostilbe macalpinei, L. flavolanata, L. mammiformis with an amorph Actinostilbe mammiformis, and L. raripila; Neonectria coccinea and N . galligena; Rubrinectria olivacea; Viridispora penicilliferi alata, V. dip arietispora, and V. fragariae; Xenonectriella leptaleae, X. ornamentata, an d X. streimannii. In the checklist, some genera are excluded from the families treated here a nd placed among 19 families in 12 orders of ascomycetes and one basidiomyce tous genus. Two genera are uniloculate, discomycetous loculoascomycetes; so me have true apothecia and belong in the Helotiales and Pezizales, or are l ichenized Lecanorales. Many of these taxa are placed in the Diaporthales an d Xylariales (Hyponectriaceae and Thyridiaceae). Genera having immersed asc omata are often difficult to place; they include Charonectria and Hyponectr ia, now placed in the Hyponectriaceae, Xylariales; and Cryptoleptosphaeria, Cryptonectriella and Schizoparme, now placed in the Diaporthales. Several genera are placed in the Niessliaceae and Clavicipitaceae of the Hypocreale s. In this section a new species, Charonectria amabilis, is described, and the new combinations Thyridium ohiense, Charonectria sceptri, Cryptoleptosp haeria gracilis, Cryptonectriella geoglossi, and Thelocarpon citrum, are pr oposed.