| Mycocaliciaceae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Phaeocalicium polyporaeum, member of the family Mycocaliciaceae | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Eurotiomycetes |
| Order: | Mycocaliciales |
| Family: | Mycocaliciaceae A.F.W.Schmidt (1970) |
| Type genus | |
| Mycocalicium Vain. (1890)
| |
| Genera | |
|
Brunneocarpos | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
The Mycocaliciaceae are a family of fungi in the order Mycocaliciales, comprising seven genera and approximately 90 species. Originally proposed in 1970 by Alexander Schmidt, the family is characterised by immersed thalli, stalked brown or black ascomata (fruiting bodies), and small cylindrical asci that release ascospores without forming a mazaedium. Molecular phylogenetic studies have placed Mycocaliciaceae within the class Eurotiomycetes and led to the inclusion of taxa formerly classified in the Sphinctrinaceae. The family has a fossil record dating back at least 50 million years, with several specimens discovered in Baltic and Bitterfeld amber. Mycocaliciaceae genera include Chaenothecopsis, Mycocalicium, and Phaeocalicium, which exhibit a range of ecological roles from saprobic to parasitic relationships with their substrates.