Mycosphaerella

Mycosphaerella is a genus of ascomycota. With more than 10,000 species, it is the largest genus of plant pathogen fungi. The following introduction about the fungal genus Mycosphaerella is copied (with permission) from the dissertation of W. Quaedvlieg (named: Re-evaluating Mycosphaerella and allied genera). Species belonging to the fungal genus Mycosphaerella (1884) (Capnodiales, Dothideomycetes) have evolved as endophytes, saprotrophs and symbionts, but mostly Mycosphaerella species are foliicolous plant pathogens which are the cause of significant economical losses in both temperate and tropical crops worldwide. The generic concept of Mycosphaerella is based on the type species of the genus, M. punctiformis, which was introduced 130 years ago in order to describe small loculoascomycetes with few distinct morphological traits. Species belonging to Mycosphaerella were characterised as having pseudothecial ascomata that can be immersed or superficial, embedded in host tissue or erumpen......read more on Wikipedia.