The present study presents a monograph of Daldinia, employing a polyphasic approach. Several thousand herbarium specimens, and several hundreds of freshly collected and cultured specimens of Daldinia and allied Xylariaceae, originating from around the world, were studied for morphological traits, including by SEM, and chemically by HPLC profiles using UV visible and mass spectrometric detection.

Six new species of Daldinia from the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere are described. Daldinia asphalatum is resurrected, and D. cudonia is regarded as its synonym. In addition, the following binomials are typified: Daldinia asphalatum, D. caldariorum, D. clavata, D. cuprea, D. durissima, D. eschscholtzii, D. grandis, D. loculata, and D. vernicosa. Annellosporium and Versiomyces are regarded as synonyms of Daldinia. Many new synonymies in Daldinia are proposed, and some previously published names are rejected. In total, 47 taxa in Daldinia are recognised and a key is provided. Their biogeography, chorology, and ecology, as well as the importance of their secondary metabolites, are also discussed.

Daldinia is segregated into five major groups based on phenotypic characteristics. A preliminary molecular phylogeny based on 5.8S/ITS nrDNA was found to be in agreement with the above-mentioned segregation of the genus, based on morphological and chemotaxonomic evidence.

Interestingly, these phylogenetic findings correlate with chemotaxonomic characters to a great extent, especially regarding the distribution of marker metabolites in their mycelial cultures. Hence, the current study revealed that fungal secondary metabolite profiles can have taxonomic value beyond the species rank and even coincide with phylogenetic data.

Studies in Mycology No. 77: A polyphasic taxonomy of Daldinia (Xylariaceae)

Introduction

Taxonomic history of Daldinia
Ecology and physiology
Chemotaxonomy, molecular phylogeny and generic affinities in the Xylariaceae
Cultural characteristics of Daldinia spp.
Anamorphic structures

Materials and Methods

Specimens examined
Morphological studies
Chemotaxonomic evaluation
Molecular phylogeny

Taxonomic part

Species concept and species descriptions
Group A: The Daldinia concentrica group
New records of the Daldinia concentrica group from Africa
Group B: The Daldinia eschscholtzii group
Group C: The Daldinia childiae group
Deviating material in the Daldinia childiae group
Group D: The Daldinia vernicosa – Daldinia loculata group
Tropical relatives of Daldinia loculata and Daldinia loculatoides
Notes on Daldinia nemorosa (syn. Annellosporium nemorosum)
Group E: The Daldinia petriniae group
Group F: Sugarcane-associated Daldinia spp. from Asia and further taxa with unclear affinities
Dichotomous key to Daldinia
Molecular phylogeny

Outlook and Discussion

Acknowledgements

References