Blasiphalia is a monotypic genus with a honey colored omphalinoid agaric

Agaric

An agaric is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe , with lamellae on the underside of the pileus. "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body...

http://www.arktiskebilleder.dk/siulleq/billede/gr52169.html in the Hymenochaetales

Hymenochaetales

The Hymenochaetales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order in its current sense is based on molecular research and not on any unifying morphological characteristics. According to one 2008 estimate, the Hymenochaetales contain around 600 species worldwide, mostly corticioid...

 that grows with the liverwort

Marchantiophyta

The Marchantiophyta are a division of bryophyte plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like other bryophytes, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of genetic information....

 genus Blasia

Blasia

Blasia pusilla is the only species in the liverwort genus Blasia. It is distinguished from Cavicularia by the presence of a collar around the base of the sporophyte capsule, and a scattered arrangement of sperm-producing antheridia....

Phylogenetically related agarics are in the genera Rickenella

Rickenella

Rickenella is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology. They inhabit mosses on mossy soils, peats, tree trunks and logs in temperate regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres...

, Gyroflexus

Gyroflexus

A monotypic genus with a yellowish-ivory colored omphalinoid agaric in the Hymenochaetales that grows on living Sphagnum Phylogenetically related agarics are in the genera Rickenella, Blasiphalia, Loreleia, Cantharellopsis and Contumyces, as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera Muscinupta and ...

, Loreleia

Loreleia

Loreleia is a genus of brightly colored agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology. They inhabit mosses and or liverworts on soil in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...

, Cantharellopsis

Cantharellopsis

Cantharellopsis is a tan- to whitish-colored bryophilous monotypic genus in the Agaricales. The fruit bodies of the single species Cantharellus prescottii has a form intermediate between an Omphalina and a chanterelle because of its forked, fold-like gills. It inhabits moss on calcareous soils in...

and Contumyces

Contumyces

Contumyces is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology, and therefore were previously classified in Omphalina. They inhabit mossy silty or sandy soils in the Northern Hemisphere...

, as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera Muscinupta

Muscinupta

Muscinupta is a fungal genus that produces small white delicate fan-shaped to cupulate fruitbodies on mosses. It is monotypic, containing the single species Muscinupta laevis...

and Cotylidia

Cotylidia

Cotylidia is a fungal genus characterized by small to moderately sized, white to palely- yet brightly-colored, stalked, fan-shaped to funnel-shaped fruitbodies with a smooth to wrinkled hymenium, tissues composed of monomitic hyphae, basidia producing smooth, nonamyloid spores, the absence of...

and clavaroid genus, Alloclavaria

Alloclavaria

Alloclavaria is a clavarioid genus in the Hymenochaetales recently segregated from Clavaria by molecular analysis. Phylogenetically related fungi are in the agaricoid genera Rickenella, Contumyces, Gyroflexus, Loreleia, Cantharellopsis and Blasiphalia, as well as the stipitate stereoid genera...

. Blasiphalia is most similar to Rickenella and Contumyces, and was only just recognized as a distinct genus in 2007 based upon molecular analysis. The fungus is unique in parasitizing Blasiahttp://www.bioimages.org.uk/HTML/P5/P53385.php by forming clasping appresoria on its host's rhizoid

Rhizoid

Rhizoids are thread-like growths from the base or bottom of a plant, found mainly in lower groups such as algae, fungi, bryophytes and pteridophytes, that function like roots of higher plants ....

s. Its basidiospores also germinate on the host's gemmae and clasp them and therefore can be disseminated together with the gemmae.

Etymology

Blasiphalia is a nonsense, nontraditionally formulated name vaguely referring to the liverwort genus Blasia

Blasia

Blasia pusilla is the only species in the liverwort genus Blasia. It is distinguished from Cavicularia by the presence of a collar around the base of the sporophyte capsule, and a scattered arrangement of sperm-producing antheridia....

and a fragment of the word 'omphalia' in reference to previous classifications that would place it in Omphalina

Omphalina

Omphalina is a genus of small agarics with white, nonamyloid, basidiospores and decurrent gills. Typically the cap has a deep central depression giving the umbrella-like to funnel-shaped cap the appearance of a belly button, or a belly with a navel...

.