New genera in the Calosphaeriales: Togniniella and its anamorph Phaeocrella, and Calosphaeriophora as anamorph of Calosphaeria

During a survey of perithecial ascomycetes in New Zealand, two collections of a Togninia-like fungus were made on decayed wood. In culture, colonies produced a Phaeoacremonium-like anamorph. In order to reveal the phylogenetic relationships of the unknown fungus and its affinity to Togninia and other genera in the Calosphaeriales, sequences of nuclear LSU and SSU ribosomal DNA were obtained of several members of this order. These data, supported by morphological and cultural characteristics, confirm that the New Zealand fungus represents a new genus very close to Calosphaeria. The genus Togniniella is proposed here to accommodate these collections, while Phaeocrella is established for their anamorphs. Furthermore, Calosphaeria pulchella was found to form a distinct Acremonium-like anamorph in culture, for which the genus Calosphaeriophora is proposed. Pleurostoma with Pleurostomophora anamorphs is a sister genus to the above two genera, forming the Pleurostomataceae. Togninia with its Phaeoacremonium anamorphs, together with Jobellisia, are closer to the Diaporthales, and deserve the rank of family, for which Togniniaceae is proposed. The presence of significantly different anamorphs in the Calosphaeriales, as well as obvious differences in teleomorph morphology of species accommodated in Calosphaeria, suggest that both the Calosphaeriales and Calosphaeria as presently perceived, are polyphyletic.