Order Sordariales is a diverse group of fungi within the class Sordariomycetes of the phylum Ascomycota. Members of this order are primarily saprobic, decomposing plant material, dung, and other organic substrates, though some are plant pathogens or endophytes. They are characterized by perithecial ascomata—flask-shaped fruiting bodies that produce unitunicate asci containing usually eight ascospores. Sordariales species often play important ecological roles in nutrient cycling and are studied for their biotechnological applications, including enzyme production and secondary metabolites. Common genera include Sordaria, Neurospora, and Chaetomium, with Neurospora serving as a model organism in genetics and molecular biology.