Capnodiaceous sooty mold phylogeny

Sequences from the 18s rDNA gene of representatives of the capnodiaceous so oty mold families Antennulariellaceae, Capnodiaceae, and Metacapnodiaceae a s well as 14 ascomycete taxa representing the Plectomycetes, Dothideales, P yrenomycetes, and Pleosporales, and yeast outgroups were analyzed. Sooty mo ld capnodiaceous ascomycetes comprising were found to be a monophyletic gro up, the Capnodiales. The convergent origin of the bitunicate ascus associat ed with the periphysoid sterile element is validated. The major Capnodiales characters are the foliicolous habit, darkly pigmented hyphae, and a disti nctive periphysoid sterile element associated with a fissitunicate type of bitunicate ascus.