''Acanthostigma'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

in the

Tubeufiaceae The Tubeufiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Tubeufiales of the class Dothideomycetes. The family was circumscribed in 1979 by mycologist Margaret Elizabeth Barr-Bigelow. Genera *'' Acanthostigma'' *'' Acanthophiobolus'' *'' Acanthosti ...

family of

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

. Three new species were reported in 2010, growing from decomposing wood in

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in the southeastern United States, southeast, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline o ...

in the United States.
The three new bitunicate ascomycetes belonging to the genus Acanthostigma are described from terrestrial decomposing wood collected from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Phylogenetic analyses of the nuclear ribosomal 28S large subunit and

internal transcribed spacer Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) is the spacer DNA situated between the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and large-subunit rRNA genes in the chromosome or the corresponding transcribed region in the polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript. ...

region placed all three species in the Tubeufiaceae and confirmed morphological analyses that these are distinct species.
Expanded phylogenetic analyses of 28S large subunit including taxa throughout the Dothideomycetes confirmed the placement of Acanthostigma in the

.
Acanthostigma filiforme differs from other Acanthostigma species in having longer ascospores with more septa. Acanthostigma multiseptatum can be distinguished in having longer asci and longer ascospores with more septa.
Acanthostigma septoconstrictum differs in having longer setae and asci and broader, asymmetrical ascospores that are constricted at their septa. A

dichotomous key In phylogenetics, a single-access key (also called dichotomous key, sequential key, analytical key, or pathway key) is an identification key where the sequence and structure of identification steps is fixed by the author of the key. At each point i ...

to Acanthostigma species is provided.

Species

*'' Acanthostigma affine'' *'' Acanthostigma berenice'' *'' Acanthostigma decastylum'' *'' Acanthostigma ellisii'' *'' Acanthostigma filiforme'' *'' Acanthostigma hederae'' *'' Acanthostigma longisporum'' *'' Acanthostigma minutum'' *'' Acanthostigma multiseptatum'' *'' Acanthostigma perpusillum'' *'' Acanthostigma revocatum'' *'' Acanthostigma scopulorum'' *'' Acanthostigma scopulum'' *'' Acanthostigma septoconstrictum''

References

External links

* Tubeufiaceae Taxa named by Giuseppe De Notaris {{Pleosporales stub