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Verrucariales is an order of Ascomycota fungi within the subclass Chaetothyriomycetidae of the class Eurotiomycetes. Although most of the Verrucariales are , the family Sarcopyreniaceae consists of 11 species of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungi.
Phylogenomics suggests that the divergence between the lichenised Verrucariales and nonlichenised Chaetothyriales occurred about 131 million years ago.
The physical structure (thallus) of Verrucariales lichens varies greatly in both form and colour. Many species contain melanin, a dark pigment also found in human skin, which is a characteristic shared with another fungal order called Chaetothyriales. Unlike many other lichens, Verrucariales rarely produce specialised structures for asexual reproduction, such as isidia (small, coral-like outgrowths) or soredia (powdery clusters of fungal cells wrapped around algal cells).
For sexual reproduction, these fungi typically develop flask-shaped structures called perithecia, which may be embedded within the lichen body or grow on its surface. These perithecia have small openings () through which spores are released. The spores are produced in sac-like structures called ascus, which have a double wall. When mature, these asci either split open or dissolve to release the spores. At maturity, the reproductive structures of Verrucariales lack certain sterile tissues (called interascal elements) that are present in many other fungi, a feature they share with the order Chaetothyriales.
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