Reinstatement of Coleonaema for Coleophoma oleae and notes on Coleophoma

The development of conidiomata and paraphyses in currently accepted species of Coleophoma is of two types. In both, initials are formed by aggregation of epidermal mycelium and then cells in the upper layer grow upward and become septate. Subsequently, development differs. In C. crateriformis (type species), C. empetri, C. cylindrospora, C. aesculi, C. fusiformis and C. prunicola sp. nov., some hyaline to very pale brown, upwardly growing hyphae with septa only at the base develop from the upper layer of the conidiomatal initials. The apical cells of these hyphae are hyaline, elongated, swollen and with free apices. They develop into paraphyses which persist for a long time and can be seen even in the mature conidiomata. In the second group, which only contains C. oleae and two unnamed collections, the upwardly growing hyphae are pale to dark brown, septate and branched, and anastomose at the apices. They collapse before conidiomata mature, so no paraphyses develop. Based on such differences Coleophoma oleae is reassigned to Coleonaema. Coleophoma prunicola sp. nov. is described and microconidiogenesis is first reported in this genus.