As Macalpinomyces lacked columellae, produced sterile cells and the spores were uniformly ornamented and polyangular or sub-polyangular (Langdon & Fullerton 1977, Vánky 1996).
They studied the specimens separately and then two new fungal taxa were described based on this single collection, Sorosporium eriachnes by Thümen in 1878 and Ustilago australis by Cooke in 1879.
[1] Vánky in 1996, broadened the description of Macalpinomyces to include taxa that lacked a columella but possessed sterile cells, which are morphological features shared by both Sporisorium and Ustilago.
Species of Macalpinomyces have sterile cells, a peridium derived from host material and lack true spore balls (Vánky 2011b).
[6] Begerow et al. (2006), in their phylogenetic study of the Ustilaginomycotina, proposed that M. eriachnes might not belong to the Ustilaginaceae family as it did not occur in the clade containing Sporisorium, Ustilago and Moesziomyces.