''Blasiphalia'' is a fungal

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 family Repetobasidiaceae. A

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

genus, it contains the honey colored omphalinoid

agaric An agaric () is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. It is a type of mushroom (or toadstool) ...

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''Blasiphalia pseudogrisella'', which grows with the Marchantiophyta, liverwort genus ''

Blasia ''Blasia pusilla'' is the only species in the liverwort genus ''Blasia''. This species establishes a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria of the genus ''Nostoc'', which are housed in special cavities, called auricles, occurring on the ven ...

''.

Phylogenetically In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical data ...

related agarics are in the genera '' Rickenella'', '' Gyroflexus'', '' Loreleia'', '' Cantharellopsis'' and '' Contumyces'', as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera ''

Muscinupta ''Muscinupta'' is a fungal genus that produces small white delicate fan-shaped to cupulate fruitbodies on mosses. It is monotypic, containing the single species ''Muscinupta laevis''. The type species is better known under the name ''Cyphelloster ...

'' and ''

Cotylidia ''Cotylidia'' is a fungal genus characterized by small to moderately sized, white to palely yet brightly colored, stalked, fan-shaped to funnel-shaped fruit bodie Alloclavaria ''Alloclavaria'' is a clavarioid genus in the Hymenochaetales recently segregated from '' Clavaria'' by molecular analysis. Phylogenetically related fungi are in the agaricoid genera '' Rickenella'', '' Contumyces'', '' Gyroflexus'', '' Loreleia' ...

''. ''Blasiphalia'' is most similar to ''Rickenella'' and ''Contumyces'', and was only just recognized as a distinct genus in 2007 based upon

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, ...

analysis. The fungus is unique in parasitizing ''Blasia

by forming clasping appresoria on its host's

rhizoid Rhizoids are protuberances that extend from the lower epidermal cells of bryophytes and algae. They are similar in structure and function to the root hairs of vascular land plants. Similar structures are formed by some fungi. Rhizoids may be un ...

s. Its

basidiospore A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by basidiomycete fungi, a grouping that includes mushrooms, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromos ...

s also germinate on the host's gemmae and clasp them and therefore can be disseminated together with the gemmae.

Etymology

''Blasiphalia'' is a nonsense, nontraditionally formulated name vaguely referring to the liverwort genus ''

'' and a fragment of the word 'omphalia' in reference to previous classifications that would place it in '' Omphalina''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4925310 Repetobasidiaceae Monotypic Basidiomycota genera