INTRODUCTION

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Genus Creosphaeria
Key to Taxa of Creosphaeria
Accepted Taxa
List of Names
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Jack
Yu-Ming Ju
Michael J. Adams

Theissen (1910) erected Creosphaeria Theiss. based upon Creosphaeria riograndensis Theiss. for taxa with soft light-colored stromata and brown ascospores, remarking that the genus--"Rosellinae proximum--." Petrak (1923) believed Anthostoma to be closely related to Creosphaeria. Later, Petrak (1951) recognized that Creosphaeria riograndensis is conspecific with Hypoxylon sassafras (Schwein.:Fr.) M. A. Curtis. Miller (1961) put C. riograndensis into synonymy with H. sassafras, the nomenclaturally much older taxon.

Martin (1968a) cultured Hypoxylon sassafras, reporting the conidia to be oval to subglobose, 1.7-3.7 x 1.7-2.7 µm. Petrini and M?font face="Times New Roman">ller (1986), however, reported and illustrated the anamorph from culture as belonging to Libertella Desm., describing the conidia as crescentic, hyaline, one-celled, 13-26 x 1-2 µm. We have recently cultured the fungus from European and Asian material. Our results agree essentially with those of Petrini and Müller (1986) except that we have observed conidia on stromata as well as associated with rudimentary conidiomata in the aerial hyphae. Because this type of anamorph differs from those of most Hypoxylon species we herein resurrect Creosphaeria, based upon Sphaeria sassafras Schwein. It is noteworthy in this respect that Petrak (in Sydow and Petrak, 1922) erected Creosphaeria pinea Petrak for a fungus widely accepted as Hypoxylon diathrauston Rehm [º Rosellinia diathrausta (Rehm) L. Petrini]. The anamorph of this fungus is of the typical xylariaceous type (Petrini and Müller, 1986). We do not accept it as a Creosphaeria. According to Miller (1961), Rick erected Creosphaeria verruculosa Rick. We have not seen material of this fungus and, thus, have no opinion on its placement.