XVI International Botanical Congess

The Herpotrichiellaceae, an anamorph-rich, ascomycete family has been linked to a variety of asexual spore stages or anamorphs. Available evidence indicates that anamorphs belonging to the form-genus Exophiala are restricted to this family, whereas spore forms comparable to Phialophora and Ramichloridium are distributed among a number of ascomycete lineages. Connection members of these form-genera with the Herpotrichiellaceae involves two approaches, the in vitro characterization of taxa hypothesized to belong to this family, and the comparison of DNA sequences of members of the Herpotrichiellaceae and of anamorphs resembling the asexual spore stages of telemorphic taxa. The first approach is aimed a t inducing the formation of sexual and asexual spore states and is necessary for reconstructing the complete life histories of these fungi. The second is valuable for determining the phylogEnetic positions of telemorphic Herpotrichiellaceae that lack anamorphs or possess novel asexual spore states, and of anamorphs that ore not known to reproduce sexually. This study examines the phylogenetic positions of species belonging to both categories and considers the feasibility of amalgamating the system for naming telemorphic and anamorphic Herpotrichiellaceae.