Guanomyces, a new genus of Ascomycetes from Mexico

A new genus is described to accommodate a species isolated from bat dung. T his fungus forms a membranous ascoma with a long neck that is ornamented wi th lateral glandular hairs and terminal aglandular hairs; filamentous, sept ate paraphyses and deliquescent asci with hyaline, unicellular ascospores a re formed in the base of the centrum. In order to analyze the systematic po sition of this ascomycete, its morphological characters and 18S rDNA sequen ces were studied and compared with superficially similar species. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequences, this fungus belongs in the Sordariales and is close to but separate from Chaetomium. Th e hyaline ascospores, without a germ pore, and the possession of an ascoma with a long neck ornamented with lateral glandular hairs is in contrast to other genera of the Chaetomiaceae. For these reasons, the new genus Guanomy ces is proposed to accommodate the new species G. polythrix in the Chaetomi aceae of the Sordariales.