Three Cercophora species from Indian elephant dung. An opportunity to establish new combinations and a new taxon

Elephant dung, when compared with other dungs from mammalian herbivores, was regarded as an ideal substrate for cellulolytic fungi. One sample of Indian elephant dung, examined for detecting coprophilous ascomycetes, was found to have developed three different Cercophora species. Cercophora elephantina, Cercophora sp. of the complex-sordarioides, and a new species, C. cephalothecoidea, were classified based on morphological characteristics. C. elephantina was described in detail and compared with species having the so called “pseudobombardioid” peridium. Cercophora sp. and C. cephalothecoidea were described, compared and placed in keys with species having a membraneous or carbonaceous peridium, respectively. Bombardia mutabilis and B. rostrata were recombined in Cercophora. Following recent phylogenetic analyses, the morphological and physiological features of family Lasiosphaeriaceae, Cercophora and related genera were re-examined and discussed