The anamorph genus knufia and its phylogenetically allied species in coniosporium, sarcinomyces, and phaeococcomyces

Knufia endospora, a species described previously on the basis of cultured material, was found forming distinctive sporodochia on the bark of balsam poplar. Phylogenetic analyses of this fungus and some allied species indicated that (i) it forms a monophyletic group with Knufia cryptophialidica (type species of Knufia) and with Coniosporium perforans, Coniosporium epidermidis and Phaeococcomyces chersonesos and (ii) P. chersonesos and Sarcinomyces petricola are conspecific. These Coniosporium and Phaeococcomyces species also shared major morphological characteristics with Knufia in culture and were morphologically and phylogenetically distant from the type species of their respective genera. The following new combinations are proposed: Knufia perforans (Sterflinger) Tsuneda, Hambleton & Currah; Knufia epidermidis (D.M. Li, de Hoog, Saunte & X.R. Chen) Tsuneda, Hambleton & Currah; and Knufia chersonesos (Bogom. & Minter) Tsuneda, Hambleton & Currah. Phaeococcomyces catenatus and Phaeococcomyces nigricans (type species of Phaeococcomyces) were morphologically similar but phylogenetically distant from each other and from Knufia.