The family Niaceae (order Agaricales) is a small group of basidiomycete fungi often referred to as cyphelloid fungi — species that typically form tiny cup-, disc- or patch-like fruiting bodies rather than the familiar gilled mushrooms. Niaceae species (genera include Nia, Lachnella, Merismodes, Dendrothele, etc.) are saprotrophs commonly found on decaying wood, bark and plant debris (one genus, Nia, even contains marine wood-rotting species), and they play a role in breaking down lignocellulose in forest and coastal habitats.