Niesslia

Niesslia
Monocillium gamsii (anamorph of N. gamsii)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Sordariomycetes
Order: Hypocreales
Family: Niessliaceae
Genus: Niesslia
Auersw. (1869)
Type species
Niesslia chaetomium
(Ces. & De Not.) Auersw. (1869)
Synonyms[1]
  • Collarina A.Giraldo, Gené & Guarro (2014)
  • Hyaloseta A.W.Ramaley (2001)
  • Lohwagiella Petr. (1970)
  • Monocillium S.B.Saksena (1955)
  • Nitschkia Nitschke ex Fuckel (1870)
  • Nitschkiopsis Nannf. & R.Sant. (1975)

Niesslia is a genus of fungi in the family Niessliaceae. It was circumscribed by German mycologist Bernhard Auerswald in 1869, with Niesslia chaetomium assigned as the type species.

These organisms, which are barely visible to the naked eye, are found in decaying plant matter and are parasites of lichens, other fungi, or nematode eggs. They belong to the ascomycetes and in their teleomorphic (sexual) stage they form distinctive dark brown shiny fruiting bodies with spines. The fruiting body structures are a flask-shaped type called perithecia where the spores escape through ostioles. The asexual anamorphic stage was given the genus name Monocillium, now considered a synonym.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Species Fungorum synonymy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gams et al. 2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).