''Nothomitra'' 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 ...

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 earth tongue family

Geoglossaceae Geoglossaceae is a family (biology), family of fungi in the order Geoglossales, class (biology), class Geoglossomycetes. These fungi are broadly known as earth tongues. The ascocarps of most species in the family Geoglossaceae are terrestrial an ...

. There is no known common name. ''Nothomitra'' is morphologically distinguished from ''

Microglossum ''Microglossum'' is a genus of fungi in the 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 ...

'' in that the fertile

hymenium The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in oth ...

in ''Nothomitra'' is not flattened as in ''Microglossum''. Furthermore, the

in ''Nothomitra'' is distinctly free at the junction of the stipe, unlike in ''Microglossum'' in which the hymenium is flattened and gradually intergrades with the stipe.

History

The genus was first

circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...

by Dutch mycologist

Rudolph Arnold Maas Geesteranus Rudolf Arnold Maas Geesteranus (20 January 1911 in The Hague – 18 May 2003 in Oegstgeest), was a Dutch mycologist whose work on both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes helped to refine fungal taxonomy over a career of nearly six decades. Early li ...

from specimens collected in

Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...

in autumn 1964. Two additional species were later described: '' Nothomitra kovalii'' was described by Ain Raitviir in 1971Raitviir A. 1971. The Geoglossaceae of the Far East, 52–83. In: Plants and Animals of the Far East (ed. E Parmasto). Valgus, Tallinn. from

Kunashir Kunashir Island (; ; ), possibly meaning ''Black Island'' or ''Grass Island'' in Ainu language, Ainu, is the southernmost island of the Kuril Islands. The island has been under Russia, Russian administration since the end of World War II, when S ...

in the

Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands are a volcanic archipelago administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the Russian Far East. The islands stretch approximately northeast from Hokkaido in Japan to Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, separating the ...

, and '' Nothomitra sinensis'' was described by Zhuang and Wang in 1997 from China. The placement of ''Nothomitra'' within the class

Geoglossomycetes Geoglossaceae is a family of fungi in the order Geoglossales, class 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 col ...

has been confirmed using

molecular phylogenetics Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

Distribution

''Nothomitra'' is only known from Europe and China, though extensive distribution data is lacking.

Conservation

The conservation of ''Nothomitra'' has not formally been assessed on a global scale. ''N. cinnamomea'' and ''N. sinensis'' known from few localities in Europe and China, respectively, whereas ''N. kovalii'' is only known from its type locality.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10603393 Geoglossaceae Ascomycota genera Taxa described in 1964