Rannellaceae

Rannellaceae is a family of fungi in the order Rannellales, class Dothideomycetes. The family was circumscribed by Karl Wilhelm Gottlieb Leopold Fuckel in 1870. Rannellaceae is characterized by its ascomata (fruit bodies) that are immersed, meaning they are embedded within the host tissue, and its asci (spore-bearing cells) that are bitunicate, meaning they have two layers of the ascus wall. The family is known for its association with various plant hosts, including conifers, angiosperms, and gymnosperms. Rannellaceae is distributed worldwide, with species found in temperate, tropical, and subtropical regions. The family includes several genera, such as Rannella, which is the type genus, and others like Phyllosticta, which is a well-known genus of plant pathogens. The taxonomy of Rannellaceae is still a subject of ongoing research, with some species being reclassified or transferred to other families.