Cyphelloid fungi

The cyphelloid fungus Calyptella longipes, Australia

The cyphelloid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota that have disc-, tube-, or cup-shaped basidiocarps (fruit bodies), resembling species of discomycetes (or "cup fungi") in the Ascomycota. They were originally referred to the genus Cyphella ("cyphelloid" means Cyphella-like) and subsequently to the family Cyphellaceae, but are now known to be much more diverse and are spread through several different genera and families. Since they are often studied as a group, it is convenient to call them by the informal (non-taxonomic) name of "cyphelloid fungi". Better known cyphelloid genera include Calyptella, with stalked, cup- or bell-like fruit bodies; Lachnella, with conspicuous, hairy-margined, disc-like fruit bodies; Flagelloscypha with smaller, but equally hairy, cup-like fruit bodies; Henningsomyces with tube-like fruit bodies; and Merismodes with clustered, hairy, cup-like fruit bodies.