sentences:  Because of its morphological similarity to species of "Rhizoctonia" and "Thanatephorus", "Waitea circinata" was presumed to belong within the Ceratobasidiaceae, but cladistic analysis of DNA sequences has shown that it actually belongs in the Corticiaceae and is close to species of "Laetisaria" (which are also grass pathogens).The anamorphic species Rhizoctonia zeae, originally described as the causal agent of ear rot of maize, is a synonym of "Waitea circinata".