Phylogenetic evaluation of anamorphic species of Cirrenalia and Cumulospora with the description of eight new genera and four new species

Four new helicoid anamorphic fungi collected from marine habitats in Egypt and Japan are described. Three marine and one terrestrial Cirrenalia species along with two Cumulospora species and the four new fungi were sequenced for LSU and SSU rDNA. Phylogenetic analyses of the generated sequences, along with those from GenBank, confirmed the polyphyly of the genera Cirrenalia and Cumulospora, and new genera are erected to accommodate the displaced species. Eight new genera, four new species and six new combinations are made: 1. Halazoon anam.-gen. nov. (Halazoon melhae sp. nov., H. fuscus for Cirrenalia fusca), 2. Moheitospora anam.-gen. nov. (Moheitospora fruticosae sp. nov., M. adarca for Cirrenalia adarca), 3. Moleospora anam.-gen nov. (Moleospora maritima sp. nov.), and 4. Glomerulispora anam.-gen. nov. (Glomerulispora mangrovis sp. nov); Cirrenalia pygmea, Cirrenalia tropicale and Cumulospora varius are transferred to the new genera, 5. Hydea anam.-gen. nov, 6. Matsusporium anam.-gen. nov., and 7. Moromyces anam.-gen. nov., respectively. These genera can be assigned to the order Lulworthiales, TBM (Torpedospora/Bertia/Melanospora) clade, while Cirrenalia macrocephala is nested within the order Halosphaeriales. Few morphological characters delineate the genera and species assigned to the Lulworthiales and this aspect is discussed in relation to the molecular data. The phylogenetic position of the terrestrial species, Cirrenalia japonica, shows that it is a member of the order Pleosporales, and a new genus, 8. Hiogispora anam.-gen. nov. is proposed for the fungus.