Introduction The Leotiomycetes are the inoperculate class of ascos, where the ascii do not have a lid, but instead have a pore at the top that the spores escape from. This is difficult to see without a quality microscope, but the species in the class are usually tiny cup fungi (maximum size <1cm across) growing on wood, as well as the earth tongues (club fungi with a differentiated head). In contrast, the Pezizomycetes contain true truffles, morels and false morels, the larger cup fungi, and tiny cups that do not grow on wood (although there are exceptions). Other classes of ascos exist as well with more cups, truffle-like fungi, and carbonaceous fungi. My ITS tree cannot show the orders holding together, but a 15-gene study confirms where I have placed these species. Dermateaceae in particular usually (but not always) erupt out of wood, looking somewhat embedded (like Tympanis in the Leotiales which are clusters of black erumpent cups, and like other species in other orders which erupt out of leaves or twigs). They may be black (Dermea) or colourful (ochre) (Pezicula) and are tiny (~1mm across). These need to be in a separate order from the other Leotiomycetes. A 5-gene study suggests they are near Medeolaria, which has its own order already, the Medeolariales. ITS only suggests they are not. However, the 15-gene study did not include Medeolaria and cannot confirm that we don't need to erect a new order for these, which if so could be called the Dermateales (if I am correct about the formation of order names out of a genus that ends in vowels). For now, the placement of this family is of uncertain order. abundant common uncommon rare - colour codes match my Pictorial Key and are my opinions and probably reflect my bias of living in W WA. Rare species may be locally common in certain places at certain times.

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