A preliminary account of the <i>Cucurbitariaceae</i>

Fresh collections, type studies and molecular phylogenetic analyses of a multigene matrix of partial nuSSU-ITS-LSU rDNA, <i>rpb2</i>, <i>tef1</i> and <i>tub2</i> sequences were used to evaluate the boundaries of <i>Cucurbitaria</i> in a strict sense and of several related genera of the <i>Cucurbitariaceae</i>. Two species are recognised in <i>Cucurbitaria</i> and 19 in <i>Neocucurbitaria</i>. The monotypic genera <i>Astragalicola</i>, <i>Cucitella</i>, <i>Parafenestella</i>, <i>Protofenestella</i>, and <i>Seltsamia</i> are described as new. <i>Fenestella</i> is here included as its generic type <i>F. fenestrata</i> (= <i>F. princeps</i>), which is lecto- and epitypified. <i>Fenestella mackenzei</i> and <i>F. ostryae</i> are combined in <i>Parafenestella</i>. Asexual morphs of <i>Cucurbitariaceae</i>, where known, are all pyrenochaeta- or phoma-like. Comparison of the phylogenetic analyses of the ITS-LSU and combined matrices demonstrate that at least <i>rpb2</i> sequences should be added whenever possible to improve phylogenetic resolution of the tree backbone; in addition, the <i>tef1</i> introns should be added as well to improve delimitation of closely related species.