LIFESTYLES AND ACTIVITIES

Nemania species (as Hypoxylon in earlier literature) have long been recognized as common inhabitants of wood (especially angiospermous wood) in advanced stages of decay. They have thus been considered primarily as saprophytes. In recent years, Geniculosporium species have increasingly been shown to be endophytes of a large number and variety of plants (Petrini & Petrini 1985, Whalley 1996, and refs. therein). Carroll (1999), in a fascinating study, showed that Nemania serpens--a common inhabitant of Acer wood--cryptically occurs in the foliage of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco. He categorized this and similar fungi as "foraging ascomycetes." Rogers (2000) characterized xylariaceous endophytic fungi as "sneaky" owing to their capacity to invade hosts without activating host defense systems and, apparently, to curtail the fungal cellulolytic and lignolytic activities.