ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈā(ˌ)lēz noun plural
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Sphaeria + -ales
: a large order of ascomycetous fungi (subclass Euascomycetes) that usually have hard dark perithecia with definite ostioles, that include many economically important plant parasites as well as large numbers of saprophytes, and that in recent classifications are often divided among several orders