ABSTRACT

 
A new order, Glomales, is proposed to include all soil-borne fungi which form arbuscules in obligate mutualistic associations with terrestrial plants. The proposed suborder, Glomineae, consists of the type family Glomaceae and Acaulosporaceae fam. nov. Glomus and Sclerocystis are genera in the Glomaceae characterized by "chlamydospores" borne singly, in aggregates, or in compact sporocarps on one or more cylindrical to flared subtending hyphae. Acaulospora and Entrophospora in the Acaulosporaceae are historically equivalent sister groups. Species in these genera are distinguished by "chlamydospores" formed laterally from or within a hypha terminating in a sporiferous saccule. Intermediate species in Acaulosporaceae show a progressive transformation from spores resembling Glomus to those which are uniquely sessile. Gigasporineae subord. nov. is proposed to include Gigasporaceae fam. nov. Both genera in this family, Gigaspora and Scutellospora, produce "azygospores" borne terminally on a sporogenous cell. Taxa in Gigasporineae produce extraradical auxiliary cells and no intraradical vesicles, whereas taxa in Glomineae form intraradical vesicles. The Endogonales was emended to contain only one family, Endogonaceae, with a single genus, Endogone. A key to supraspecific taxa in Glomales is provided.