''Protohydnum'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

fungi A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...

in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

Auriculariales The Auriculariales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. Species within the order were formerly referred to the " heterobasidiomycetes" or "jelly fungi", since many have gelatinous basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that produce spores on ...

. ''Protohydnum cartilagineum'', the

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

and only

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

, occurs in Central and South America and produces effused, cartilaginous basidiocarps (fruit bodies) on wood, yellow-ochre and wholly covered in small spines.

Molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioch ...

research, based on

cladistic Cladistics (; ) is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups (" clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is typically shared derived ch ...

analysis of

DNA sequences A nucleic acid sequence is a succession of bases signified by a series of a set of five different letters that indicate the order of nucleotides forming alleles within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule. By convention, sequences are usu ...

, has shown that the genus is distinct, but that other species previously referred to ''Protohydnum'' belong in the genera ''

Hyalodon ''Hyalodon'' is a genus of fungi in the order Auriculariales. Species occur on dead wood in Europe and Asia, producing effused, gelatininous basidiocarps (fruit bodies) covered in small spines. Molecular A molecule is a group of two or ...

'' or ''

Elmerina } ''Elmerina'' is a genus of fungi in the order Auriculariales. Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are formed on dead wood and are either bracket-like with a poroid hymenium or densely clavarioid. Species are known from East Asia and Australia. Taxonom ...

''.

References

Auriculariales Basidiomycota genera Taxa described in 1895 Fungi of South America {{Agaricomycotina-stub