Phylogeny of Discomycetes and early radiations of the apothecial Ascomycotina inferred from SSU rDNA sequence data

We used nucleotide sequences of the small subunit ribosomal genes (SSU rDNA) to examine evolutionary relationships of apothecial ascomycetes (division Ascomycota; class Discomycetes sensu), commonly known as the cup fungi. The apothecial ascomycetes include both lichen-forming and free-living fungi. We sequenced the SSU rDNA from representatives of 10 fungal genera from four orders: Pezizales (Ascobolus lineolatus, Morchella elata agg., Peziza badia); Leotiales (Leotia lubrica, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum); Caliciales (Calicium tricolor, Mycocalicium albonigrum, Sphaerophorus globosus); and Lecanorales (Lecanora dispersa, Porpidia crustulata). Of these, C. tricolor, S. globosus, L. dispersa, and P. crustulata are lichen-forming fungi. Based on parsimony analyses of approximately 1750 aligned nucleotides of their SSU rDNA, we determined a most parsimonious tree (MPT). This hypothesis suggests that the apothecial ascomycetes are a paraphyletic assemblage, basal to other groups of filamentous ascomycetes including representatives of the perithecial fungi and cleistothecial fungi. The most parsimonious tree produced using this dataset supported the monophyly of the orders Pezizales, Leotiales, and Lecanorales. However, there was no support for monophyly of the representative Caliciales; S. globosus had affinities with members of the Lecanorales. This phylogenetic hypothesis recognizes Pezizales as basal and supports Nannfeldt's hypothesis (1932) of a primitive apothecial ascomata with subsequent evolution of perithecial and cleistothecial forms. This MPT provides a foundation for understanding evolution of the ascomycetous fungi.