''Byssochlamys'' is a former

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

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

in the

Trichocomaceae The Trichocomaceae are a family of fungi in the order Eurotiales. Taxa are saprobes with aggressive colonization strategies, adaptable to extreme environmental conditions. Family members are cosmopolitan in distribution, ubiquitous in soil, and ...

family, containing

teleomorph In mycology, the terms teleomorph, anamorph, and holomorph apply to portions of the life cycles of fungi in the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota: *Teleomorph: the sexual reproductive stage (morph), typically a fruiting body. *Anamorph: an ase ...

forms of ''

Paecilomyces ''Paecilomyces'' is a genus of fungi. A number of species in this genus are plant pathogens. Several of the entomopathogenic fungi, entomopathogenic species, such as "''Paecilomyces fumosoroseus''" have now been placed in the genus ''Isaria'', ...

''. Several species of the genus ''Byssochlamys'' were well known to be associated with

food spoilage Food spoilage is the process whereby food becomes unsuitable to ingest by a person; it is a matter of food safety. Bacteria and various fungi are the causes of spoilage, and can create serious consequences for consumers, but there are preventive ...

, especially acidic heat-processed foods. A health concern was the production of the

mycotoxin A mycotoxin (from the Greek μύκης , "fungus" and τοξικός , "poisonous") is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by fungi and is capable of causing disease and death in both humans and other animals. The term 'mycotoxin' is usually rese ...

patulin Patulin is an organic compound classified as a polyketide. It is named after the fungus from which it was isolated, '' Penicillium patulum''. It is a white powder soluble in acidic water and in organic solvents. It is a lactone that is heat-stabl ...

in fruit juices, as well as byssochlamic acid and

mycophenolic acid Mycophenolic acid is an immunosuppressant medication used to prevent rejection following organ transplantation and to treat autoimmune conditions such as Crohn's disease and lupus. Specifically it is used following kidney, heart, and live ...

Taxonomy

First described by Swedish botanist Richard Westling in 1909, it contained

forms of the genus ''

'', traditionally covering anamorphic forms. With the adaptation of the "one fungus : one name" rule, ''Byssochlamys'' is considered a synonym of ''

''. The database

Mycobank MycoBank is an online database, documenting new mycological names and combinations, eventually combined with descriptions and illustrations. It is run by the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute in Utrecht. Each novelty, after being screene ...

lists 9 legitimate species names, most of which are now considered to belong in the genus ''

''. * ''Byssochlamys fulva'', now '' Paecilomyces fulvus''. * ''Byssochlamys lagunculariae'', now '' Paecilomyces lagunculariae''. * ''Byssochlamys nivea'' and ''B. trisporus'', now '' Paecilomyces niveus''. * ''Byssochlamys spectabilis'', now '' Paecilomyces variotii''. * ''Byssochlamys striata'', now '' Pseudohamigera striata''. * ''Byssochlamys verrucosa'', now '' Thermoascus verrucosus''. *'' Byssochlamys musticola'' and '' Byssochlamys zollerniae'' are currently not assigned an updated taxonomy.

References

Trichocomaceae Eurotiomycetes genera Taxa described in 1909 {{Eurotiomycetes-stub