Lulworthiales is 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 ...

order of fungi in the class

Sordariomycetes Sordariomycetes is a class of fungi in the subdivision Pezizomycotina (Ascomycota). It is the second-largest class of Ascomycota, with a worldwide distribution that mostly accommodates terrestrial based taxa, although several can also be found in ...

and also subclass Lulworthiomycetidae. The order Lulworthiales, with its sole family ''Lulworthiaceae'', consists of strictly marine fungal genera found on a wide range of substrates such as seagrasses (including ''

Posidonia oceanica ''Posidonia oceanica'', commonly known as Neptune grass or Mediterranean tapeweed, is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It forms large underwater meadows that are an important part of the ecosystem. The fruit is free ...

''), seaweeds, and seafoam. Order Lulworthiales was introduced on the basis of morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses built upon

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

and SSU partial sequences to accommodate the polyphyletic genera '' Lulworthia'' and '' Lindra''. Members of this family (and order) are well-known

cellulase Cellulase (; systematic name 4-β-D-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase) is any of several enzymes produced chiefly by fungi, bacteria, and protozoans that catalyze cellulolysis, the decomposition of cellulose and of some related polysaccharides: : Endo ...

producers and can break down complex lignocellulose compounds, thus contributing to the recycling of nutrients. Morphologically, they are characterized by

ascomata An ascocarp, or ascoma (: ascomata), is the fruiting body (sporocarp (fungi), sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded ascus, asci, each of which typically contains four to ...

which is subglobose to cylindrical, 8-spored asci, cylindrical to fusiform and filamentous

ascospores In fungi, an ascospore is the sexual spore formed inside an ascus—the sac-like cell that defines the division Ascomycota, the largest and most diverse division of fungi. After two parental nuclei fuse, the ascus undergoes meiosis (halving of ...

with end chambers filled with mucus (the latter character is missing in ''Lindra'').

References

External links

* Ascomycota orders Monotypic fungus orders {{Sordariomycetes-stub

See also

References

External links