Worldwide Checklist on Grass Fungi: What Do We Know So Far in Ascomycota

Abstract

Grasses are cosmopolitan yet an important component in ecology. The current human population readily relies on grasses as many Poaceae species provide staple carbohydrate sources and staple feed to livestock. Ecologically grass plays a vital role as a pioneer inhabitant as well as sustaining immense biodiversity within the community. Fungi play a pivotal role in maintaining and shaping the grass communities. Fungi occur on grasses as commensals, saprobes, and pathogens. Each fungal community associated with grasses is responsible for the specific ecological property of the grass community, either in silviculture or polyculture. Hence, grass fungi drawn much attention from researchers. The taxonomy of grass fungi dates back to 1800s. However, up-to-date collective worldwide account for grass fungi is still lacking. In thi study, we compiled all the taxonomically valid data of Ascomycetous grass fungi in a checklist. The section Ascomycota comprises 3,165 fungal species among 207 families, 70 orders, and 11 classes. The majority of the species are represented by Dothideomycetes (1,367) and Sordariomycetes (944). This study is the first worldwide checklist of Ascomycetous grass fungi.

Morphological and Phylogenetic Characterisations Reveal Four New Species in Leptosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes)

“…Except for L. maculans , leptosphaeria-like taxa are diverse and widespread. However, they are mostly found in temperate regions ( Supplementary Table S1 , [ 59 , 60 ]), with 30 species reported on grasses [ 29 ]. In addition, Leptosphaeria species seem not to be host-specific, as they have been discovered on various plant families (i.e., Adoxaceae , Apiaceae , Asteraceae , Euphorbiaceae , Fabaceae , Gentianaceae , Juglandaceae , Lamiaceae , Orobanchaceae , Plantaginaceae , Rhamnaceae , and Urticaceae ) [ 5 ].…”

“…In Yunnan’s grasslands, many grass species are the primary source of carbohydrates and feed for livestock, and fungi play a pivotal role in maintaining and shaping grass communities. Each grass-associated fungal community is responsible for specific ecological properties of the environment [ 29 ]. Our study fills some gaps in the research on Leptosphaeriaceae species in grasslands by providing detailed information on four new species from China and insights into the number of grass-associated Leptosphaeria .…”

“…In the grassland biome, several living organisms, such as herbivorous mammals, insects, and fungi (pathogenic, saprobic, and symbiotic), play essential roles in maintaining biomass and biodiversity [ 28 ]. Regarding fungi, a checklist of Ascomycetes on grasses was provided by Karunarathna et al [ 29 ], which lists 3,165 fungal species. Studies of fungi on grasses include those of Thambugala et al [ 30 ], Goonasekara et al [ 31 ], and Brahmanage et al [ 32 ].…”

Pleomorphic Dematiomelanomma yunnanense gen. et sp. nov. (Ascomycota, Melanommataceae) from grassland vegetation in Yunnan, China

“…Grassland ecosystems are a vital component of the Earth’s land surface, covering an area of 52.5 million km2 and providing numerous ecosystem services ( Bai and Cotrufo 2022 ). The plant species in this biome host various microorganisms, including fungi, with a broad spectrum of nutritional modes ( Karunarathna et al 2022 ). Grassland ecosystems support a high diversity of fungi and are likely to harbor numerous undescribed taxa ( Hyde et al 2020 ).…”