Phylogenetic relationships of Meliola and Meliolina inferred from nuclear small subunit rRNA sequences

The phylogenetic relationships of two Meliola spp., one Meliolina sp., and 36 other ascomycetes were inferred from sequences of the nuclear small subu nit ribosomal RNA gene. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Meliolaceae are members of the unitunicate Pyrenomycetes, and are not closely related to the bitunicate ascomycetes. The Meliolaceae have been hypothesised to be closely related to the Erysiphaceae, but the cladistic analyses showed tha t the two families are not closely related. The phylogenetic position of Me liolina is found amongst the bitunicate ascomycetes making it distantly rel ated to the Meliolaceae.