Nectria

{{Short description|Genus of fungi}}

{{about|the genus of fungi|the echinoderm genus|Nectria (sea star)}}

{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Nectriasp.jpg

| image_caption = Perithecia of an unidentified Nectria species

| taxon = Nectria

| authority = (Fr.) Fr. (1849)

| type_species = Nectria cinnabarina

| type_species_authority = (Tode) Fr. (1849)

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| synonyms_ref =

| synonyms = Ephedrosphaera Dumort. (1822)

Chilonectria Sacc. (1878)

Nectria subgen. Aponectria Sacc. (1878)

Megalonectria Speg. (1881)

Aponectria (Sacc.) Sacc. (1883)

Stilbonectria P.Karst. (1889)

Allantonectria Earle (1901)

Creonectria Seaver (1909)

Rhodothrix Vain. (1921)

Styloletendraea Weese (1924)

Ochraceospora Fiore (1930)

}}

Nectria is a genus of Ascomycete fungi. They are most often encountered as saprophytes on decaying wood but some species can also occur as parasites of trees, especially fruit trees (for example apple) and a number of other hardwood trees. Some species are significant pests causing diseases such as apple canker, Nectria twig blight, and coral spot in orchards.

It is ubiquitous in cool temperate Europe and North America and appears to be an introduced species in New Zealand and Australia. The occurrence in New Zealand was first identified in 1996 in Otago and Southland although it is believed to have been present since the 1980s. In North America, Nectria infections have had economically important impacts on forestry and forest products including aspen, red oak, maple, beech, poplar, and birch. Species of Nectria also occur in warmer climates including island groups such as Hawaii.

There were around 800 epithets proposed for Nectria sensu lato with 200 estimated species (Booth 1959,{{cite journal |last1=Booth |first1=C. |title=Studies of Pyrenomycetes: IV. Nectria (Part I). |journal=Mycological Papers |date=1959 |volume=73 |pages=1–115}} Rossman 1999).{{cite journal |last1=Rossman |first1=A.Y. |last2=Samuels |first2=G.J. |last3=Rogerson |first3=C.T. |last4=Lowen |first4=R. |title=Genera of Bionectriaceae, Hypocreaceae and Nectriaceae (Hypocreales, Ascomycetes). |journal=Studies in Mycology |date=1999 |volume=42 |pages=1–248}} According to the Dictionary of the Fungi (10th edition, 2008), the genus contains 82 species in 2008. 29 species are accepted by Wijayawardene et al. 2020.{{cite journal |display-authors=6 |last1=Wijayawardene |first1=Nalin |last2=Hyde |first2=Kevin |first3=Laith Khalil Tawfeeq |last3=Al-Ani |last4=Somayeh |first4=Dolatabadi |last5=Stadler |first5=Marc |last6=Haelewaters |first6=Danny |last7=Tsurykau |first7=Andrei |last8=Mesic |first8=Armin |last9=Navathe |first9=Sudhir |last10=Papp |first10=Viktor |last11=Oliveira Fiuza |first11=Patrícia |last12=Vázquez |first12=Víctor |last13=Gautam |first13=Ajay |last14=Becerra |first14=Alejandra G. |last15=Ekanayaka |first15=Anusha |last16=K. C. |first16=Rajeshkumar |last17=Bezerra |first17=Jadson |last18=Matočec |first18=Neven |last19=Maharachchikumbura |first19=Sajeewa |last20=Suetrong |first20=Satinee |year=2020 |title=Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa |journal=Mycosphere |volume=11 |pages=1060–1456 |doi=10.5943/mycosphere/11/1/8 |doi-access=free|hdl=10481/61998 |hdl-access=free }}