PYRENOMYCETIDAE (or Hymenomycetidae--the Pyrenomycetes): asci borne in a layer; ascocarp a cleistothecium or a perithecium; contains Chaetomiales, Clavicipitales, Coronophorales, Diaportheales, Erysiphales, Hypocreales, Phyllachorales, Sordariales, and Xylariales

• Sordariales: perithecia persistent; ascus unitunicate or in some prototunicate, non-amyloid; ascospores amerosporous (1-celled), stroma typically absent.

• Sordariaceae: ascus unitunicate; often coprohilous.

Sordaria. Ascus is not in a stroma and usually superficial on the substrate. The substrate is typically dung of herbivorous animals and you should be able to see Sordaria growing in the moist chambers which contain dung; It has perithecia which are positively phototrophic.

8 ascospores (phaeoamerospores) in a line on the agar surface outside the ascocarp.

classification system (places icons into orders)

index to genera/species