Sordariomycetes

Sordariomycetes is a class of fungi within the phylum Ascomycota. Members are characterized by producing flask-shaped fruiting bodies called perithecia, in which the sexual spores (ascospores) develop inside asci. The group is diverse, occupying saprobic, pathogenic, and symbiotic lifestyles. Historically it has also been referred to as pyrenomycetes.

In the sexual stage, perithecial ascomata enclose the asci; most asci are unitunicate and discharge the spores through an opening called an ostiole. Many species also have an asexual morph that forms conidia on conidiophores. The spores are often pigmented, contributing to dark or black fruiting bodies in many species.

Ecologically, Sordariomycetes are common in soil, leaf litter, decaying wood, and dung. They include important plant pathogens, such as Cryphonectria parasitica, which causes chestnut blight, and numerous endophytes and saprotrophs. Some members produce enzymes or secondary metabolites of industrial or medical interest, and several serve as model organisms or sources of biocontrol agents.

Notable orders include Sordariales (Neurospora, Podospora), Hypocreales (Trichoderma, Fusarium, Cordyceps), Xylariales (Xylaria, Hypoxylon), and Diaporthales (Cryphonectria). The class is large and diverse, a result of extensive molecular phylogenetic study that continues to refine its internal relationships. Sordariomycetes thus encompass a wide range of ecological roles and practical significance.