Phylogenetic tree showing Birnuria novae-zelandiae (Bimnz1) with Karstenula rhodostoma (Karrh1) and other Dothideomycetes.

Birnuria novae-zelandiae (Dothideomycetes - Pleosporales) was described from an isolate obtained from sod in a barley field in the Wairarapa district of the North Island, New Zealand. Birnuria novae-zelandiae is distinguished by a very thin peridium, which is hyaline at first, and mainly 2-spored asci the endoascus of which deliquesces to liberate the ascospores. The ascospores are muriform, dark brown with pale end cells, minutely verrucose, and lack a gelatinous sheath.

Dothideomycetes is the largest and most diverse class of ascomycete fungi. It comprises 11 orders 90 families, 1300 genera and over 19,000 known species. The Birnuria novae-zelandiae genome was sequenced as part of the 1000 Fungal Genomes Project.