Geoglossaceae is a
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
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 ...
in the order Geoglossales,
class
Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...
Geoglossomycetes. These fungi are broadly known as earth tongues. The
ascocarps of most species in the family Geoglossaceae are terrestrial and are generally small, dark in color, and club-shaped with a height of 2–8 cm. The
ascospores are typically light-brown to dark-brown and are often multiseptate. Other species of fungi have been known to parasitize ascocarps.
The use of a compound microscope is needed for accurate identification.
Systematics
The fungi that are now included in the fungal class Geoglossomycetes were previously considered by mycologists to be a family (Geoglossaceae) within the class
Leotiomycetes
The Leotiomycetes are a class of ascomycete fungi. Many of them cause serious plant diseases.
Systematics
The class Leotiomycetes contains numerous species with an anamorph placed within the '' fungi imperfecti'' (deuteromycota), that have onl ...
. The family Geoglossaceae ''
sensu lato
''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...
'' was previously defined with 6
genera
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
and 48 species.
Early molecular evidence using
ribosomal DNA
The ribosomal DNA (rDNA) consists of a group of ribosomal RNA encoding genes and related regulatory elements, and is widespread in similar configuration in all domains of life. The ribosomal DNA encodes the non-coding ribosomal RNA, integral struc ...
suggested that Geoglossaceae ''sensu lato'' was not a monophyletic group, and that the hyaline spored genera (e.g. ''
Leotia'', ''
Microglossum'', and ''
Spathularia'') were not allied within the same clade as the darker-spored genera (''
Geoglossum'' and ''
Trichoglossum''). Schoch et al.,
using a six-gene phylogeny including ribosomal DNA and protein-coding genes, found support for the establishment of a new class (Geoglossomycetes), containing the genera ''Geoglossum'', ''
Sarcoleotia'', and ''Trichoglossum''. Further molecular research resulted in the addition of ''
Nothomitra'' (previously treated as a relative or synonym of ''Microglossum'') to the group in 2011.
''
Glutinoglossum'' was circumscribed in 2013 to contain the species formerly known as ''
Geoglossum glutinosum'', and a new European species, ''
G. heptaseptatum''.
Several species in the genus ''
Neolecta'' have similar morphology and are also known by the common name of "earth tongues", but they are members of the quite distantly related
Taphrinomycotina, an entirely different subdivision of the
Ascomycota
Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The def ...
.
Habitat
Earth tongues are commonly found in soil or among rotting vegetation.
In North America, they are commonly found in coniferous woodland, broad-leaved woodland and mixed woodland habitats,
whereas in Europe they are commonly found in grassland habitats
and are major components of the endangered
waxcap grassland habitat.
References
*
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q1349611, from2=Q15031551, from3=Q10504037
Taxa named by August Carl Joseph Corda
Taxa described in 1838
Ascomycota families