''Pochonia'' 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 ...

within the order

Hypocreales The Hypocreales are an order of fungi within the class Sordariomycetes. In 2008, it was estimated that it contained some 237 genera, and 2647 species in seven families. Since then, a considerable number of further taxa have been identified, in ...

and is described as anamorphic

Metacordyceps ''Metacordyceps'' is a genus 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 mushroom ...

; eight

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

are described. Previously placed in the genus ''

Verticillium ''Verticillium'' is a genus of fungi in the division Ascomycota, and are an anamorphic form of the family Plectosphaerellaceae. The genus used to include diverse groups comprising saprobes and parasites of higher plants, insects, nematodes, mol ...

'', these fungi are known to be pathogenic to

nematode The nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (h ...

s and are being developed and commercialized as

biological pesticides A biopesticide is a biological substance or organism that damages, kills, or repels organisms seens as pests. Biological pest management intervention involves predatory, parasitic, or chemical relationships. They are obtained from organisms incl ...

. The genus name of ''Pochonia'' is in honour of Jacques Pochon (1907-1978), who was a French doctor and

microbiologist A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of par ...

from the

Pasteur Institute The Pasteur Institute (, ) is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who invented pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax and rabies. Th ...

. Pochonia has been seen to contain ketamine. The genus was

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 ...

Augusto Chaves Batista Augusto Chaves Batista (15 June 1916 – 30 November 1967) was a Brazilian mycologist. He published more than 600 research papers, either alone or in collaboration with others. At the time of his death at the age of 51, Batista was the director o ...

and Ozório José de Menezes Fonseca in Publ. Inst. Micol. Univ. Recife vol.462 on page 4 in 1965.

Species

The '' IndexFungorum'' records the following species; * ''Pochonia bulbillosa'' * '' Pochonia chlamydosporia'' ** ''Pochonia chlamydosporia'' var. ''catenulata'' ** ''Pochonia chlamydosporia'' var. ''chlamydosporia'' * ''Pochonia globispora'' * ''Pochonia goniodes'' * ''Pochonia humicola'' * ''Pochonia microbactrospora'' * ''Pochonia parasitica'' * ''Pochonia rubescens'' * ''Pochonia suchlasporia'' ** ''Pochonia suchlasporia'' var. ''catenata'' ** ''Pochonia suchlasporia'' var. ''suchlasporia''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7206344 Biopesticides Parasitic fungi Clavicipitaceae Taxa named by Augusto Chaves Batista Taxa described in 1965