Phylogeny of Amphisphaeriaceae (sensu stricto) and related taxa revisited based on nrDNA sequences

Abstract

To further test the phylogeny of Amphisphaeriaceae (sensu stricto) we determined the sequence of 1742 nucleotides from the 18S nrDNA of the type species Amphisphaeria umbrina. The phylogenetic analyses of 18S and ITS nrDNA sequences of the present and previous studies alongside other related ascomycete GenBank retrievals revealed that the Amphisphaeriaceae (sensu stricto) and Xylariaceae are related and should be placed in the Xylariales. Previous conclusions that the Amphisphaeriaceae and Xylariaceae were unrelated were incorrect as DNA sequences obtained from the ITS nrDNA of Apioclypea livistonae, Hypoxylon fragiforme, Myelosperma tumidum and Xylaria hypoxylon contained ambiguities or were contaminated. These sequences are therefore withdrawn from GenBank. With this new data in mind the phylogeny of Amphisphaeriaceae (sensu stricto) is re-visited.