Richard P. Korf

Whetzelinia, a New Generic Name for Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum and S. Tuberosa

A new genus, Whetzelinia Korf & Dumont, is proposed for that portion of the genus Sclerotinia Fuckel which includes the economically important plant pathogen W. sclerotiorum (Lib.) Korf & Dumont and also W. tuberosa (Hedw. per Merat) Korf & Dumont. Characters differentiating the new genus from Sclerotinia (= Ciborinia Whetzel) and from Myriosclerotinia Buchw. are noted. Though many species have recently been placed in synonymy with W. sclerotiorum, the detailed anatomical studies necessary to evaluate such synonymies have never been done.

SCLEROTINIACEAE I. GENERIC NOMENCLATURE

SUMMARY Typification and the nomenclatural and current taxonomic status of the names of the 15 genera included by Whetzel in his original delimitation of the family Sclerotiniaceae are reviewed. Martinia is invalid, being a later homonym, for which the name Martininia is available. The correct name for Ciborinia is shown to be Sclerotinia, and the correct name for Stromatinia is Tarzetta. The generic name Myriosclerotinia is available to replace Sclerotinia in Whetzels sense. The name Rutstroemia is typified by a species which Whetzel excluded from the family. The other generic names accepted by Whetzel are available and may be used in his taxonomic sense. This is the first in a series of papers serving as a precursor to a monograph of the Sclerotiniaceae (Helotiales). The family was established by Whetzel (1945) for 15 genera of stromatic, inoperculate Discomycetes. Professor Whetzels experience with this family extended over decades of intensive work, and he was preparing a comprehensive treatment of the entire family at the time of his death. Professor H. M. Fitzpatrick completed the manuscript, using Whetzels wellkept and easily accessible notes, and prepared the key to the genera and the Latin diagnoses for the new taxa which appeared in that paper. Whetzels paper greatly influenced the development of interest in this family, and in the last quarter century many new species and a few new genera have been described. With the exception of the work on Ciborinia (Batra & Korf, 1959; Batra, 1960; Groves & Bowerman, 1955) and on Lambertella (Dumont, 1970), however, little monographic work has appeared. Meaningful descriptions of most of the species presently placed in the family are lacking, and microanatomical details are unknown for the majority of the species. Further, with the addition of new taxa, generic limits have frequently become vague. We have

Lectotypification and status of Isaria Pers.: Fr

The nomenclatural status and history of the generic name Isaria are reviewed. Authorship and typification are discussed, and we conclude that Isaria Pers. : Fr. is a validly published generic name that has previously beeneffectively and appropriately lectotypified by Isaria farinosa (Holm : Fr.) Fr. A lectotype illustration and an epitype specimen are designated for I. farinosa. We suggest that the name Isaria be used for species previously assigned to Paecilomyces section Isarioidea Samson. Further taxonomic studies are required to determine the appropriate circumscription of Isaria. Our conclusions preserve a Friesian genus in a familiar sense.

Nomenclatural Notes. VII. Family and Tribe Names in the Sarcoscyphineae (Discomycetes) and a New Taxonomic Disposition of the Genera

In current classifications of the Suboperculate Discomycetes, a single family, Sarcoscyphaceae, is almost universally recognized, with two tribes, Sarcoscypheae and Umuleae. An older family name is available, and the correct name for the family as currently delimited must be Sarcosomataceae, and of the tribes, Sarcoscypheae and Sarcosomateae respectively. A new classification is proposed here, in which two families are delimited, each divided into two tribes: Sarcosomataceae (= Urnuleae sensu Le Gal), with tribes Sarcosomateae and Galielleae, and Sarcoscyphaceae emend. (= Sarcoscypheae sensu Le Gal) with tribes Sarcoscypheae and Boedijnopezizeae. Twenty-five genera are assigned positions under the families and tribes recognized in the new classification. The family name Sarcoscyphaceae, even with its emended circumscription, is technically a superfluous name, but arguments are advanced for retaining the name in its new concept and for non-application of Article 63 of the Code of Nomenclature.

The Genus Vibrissea, and the Generic Names Leptosporium, Apostemium, Apostemidium, Gorgoniceps and Ophiogloea

For more than a hundred years mycologists throughout the world have been collecting a series of tiny, aquatic or semiaquatic discomycetous fungi found, in the great majority of cases, on submerged woody mate? rial. A typical description to be found in the literature for any of these fungi would be: aquatic, gregarious, stipitate or sessile; disc bluish grey or yellow; receptacle dark; asci long-cylindrical; spores long-filiform, hyaline, often remaining attached to the surface of the hymenium by their lower extremities on ejection, giving the hymenium a silky appearance. Organisms so described have been placed in various gen? era, among which are Vibrissea Fries, Apostemidium Karsten, and Gorgoniceps (Karst.) Karst. This paper is intended to clarify the taxonomic and nomenclatural status of the competing generic names. Microanatomical investigations were almost wholly carried out by the senior author. Both authors assume responsibility for the taxonomic judgments rendered in this paper.

Nomenclatural Notes. V. Uncinula Polychaeta and The Genera Pleochaeta and Uncinulopsis

An investigation (Kimbrough, 1963) of the life history of a common powdery mildew attacking Celtis spp. in Mississippi has led to a study of its taxonomic position and nomenclature. The species is that known following Salmon (1900) as Uncinula polychaeta (Berk. & Curt.) ex Ellis, a name which is inadmissable under the International Code of Nomenclature.

A Simple Technique for Investigating Stromatal Formation in the Sclerotiniaceae

The stromata of the Sclerotiniaceae, whether of the sclerotial or substratal types, have become important in an understanding of the relationships among the genera of this family, as Whetzel (1945) has pointed out. Natural substrata have, for the most part, been used for the study of these stromata by various workers, but these offer one prime difficulty in comparisons of different genera or even different species of the same genus: a critical comparison is impossible when both fungi are unable to colonize the same natural substratum. The following technique was devised in order to overcome this difficulty, and to provide the answers to other, related problems.

NOMENCLATURAL NOTES. I. MISUSE OF NEOTYPES FOR VENTURIA AND PHAEOSPHAERELLA

A scientific worker who attempts to follow the International Code and wishes to place a valid name on a specimen of the common apple scab organism or one of its allies is rapidly made aware that he is entangled in the meshes of a thoroughly confusing nomenclatural (and even taxonomic) problem. He can find good authority for placing the fungus involved in any one of three genera: Venturia, Endostigme, or Spilosticta. If he is truly persistent, he will find that the valid generic name for his organism is Phaeosphaerella, which no authority seems to use!

Nomenclatural notes 13. An incorrect neotype designation and provision for a lectotype and an epitype for Helvella fusca

A neotype designation for Helvella fusca proposed in 1997 proves to have been erroneous because an illustration accompanying the original description was overlooked. Such illustrations normally have served as the lectotype when all known specimens of the author’s taxon have been lost. The authors of that neotype designation should instead have designated the illustration as a lectotype and a specimen as an epitype, which is done in this paper. The so-called neotype specimen is now selected as the epitype specimen. A full description, illustrations and remarks about synonyms and a non-synonym are also provided.

Fungi on Epifagus Crocicreas epifagicola sp. nov., with comments on the generic names Crocicreas and Cyathicula

A new species of Crocicreas is reported on overwintered stems of Epifagus virginianus in New York State in apparently non-organic association with sclerotia of Sclerotium orobanches , itself a rarely reported fungus. The changing concepts of the generic names Crocicreas and Cyathicula are discussed in regard to placement of the new taxon.