''Favolus'', or honeycomb fungus, is a

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 family

Polyporaceae The Polyporaceae () are a family (biology), family of polypore, poroid fungi belonging to the Basidiomycota. The trama (mycology), flesh of their basidiocarp, fruit bodies varies from soft (as in the case of the dryad's saddle illustrated) to v ...

. The

fruit bodies The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...

of ''Favolus'' species are fleshy with radially arranged pores on the underside of the cap that are angular and deeply pitted, somewhat resembling a honeycomb.

Taxonomy

The naturalist

Palisot de Beauvois Ambroise Marie François Joseph Palisot, Baron de Beauvois (27 July 1752, in Arras – 21 January 1820, in Paris) was a French naturalist and zoologist. Palisot collected insects in Oware, Benin, Saint Domingue, and the United States, from 17 ...

was the first to use the name ''Favolus'' in his 1805 work ''Flore d'Oware et de Benin, en Afrique''. His

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

was ''Favolus hirtus'', a fungus first collected in Africa.

Elias Fries Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist. He is sometimes called the "Linnaeus of Mycology". In his works he described and assigned botanical names to hundreds of fungus and lichen sp ...

used the name as a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...

of ''

Polyporus ''Polyporus'' is a genus of poroid fungi in the family Polyporaceae. Taxonomy Italian botanist Pier Antonio Micheli introduced the genus in 1729 to include 14 species featuring fruit bodies with centrally-placed stipes, and pores on the unders ...

'' in 1821. Seven years later, Fries used the name ''Favolus'' for a different genus, with the tropical species ''F. brasiliensis'' as the type. Fries's concept of the genus was later accepted as it was published in one of the sanctioning works of mycology. ''Favolus hirtus'' is now called ''

Trametes hirta ''Trametes'' is a genus of fungi that is distinguished by a pileate basidiocarp, di- to trimitic hyphal systems, smooth non-dextrinoid spores, and a hymenium usually without true hymenial cystidia.Ryvarden L. (1991). "Genera of polypores: Nomenc ...

'', and Beauvois' concept of ''Favolus'' is placed in

synonymy A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

with ''

Trametes ''Trametes'' is a genus of fungi that is distinguished by a pileate basidiocarp, di- to trimitic hyphal systems, smooth non-dextrinoid spores, and a hymenium usually without true hymenial cystidia.Ryvarden L. (1991). "Genera of polypores: Nomenc ...

''. The generic name ''Favolus'' is derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''favus'' meaning ''

honeycomb A honeycomb is a mass of Triangular prismatic honeycomb#Hexagonal prismatic honeycomb, hexagonal prismatic cells built from beeswax by honey bees in their beehive, nests to contain their brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) and stores of honey and pol ...

''. Until relatively recently, many works have considered ''Favolus'' to be synonymous with ''Polyporus''. Based on

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

analysis, ''Favolus'' species were shown to form two genera, and several species were transferred to ''

Neofavolus ''Neofavolus'' is a genus of four species of polypore fungi in the family Polyporaceae. All four known species of ''Neofavolus'' are known from temperate regions and unknown from the tropics. ''Neofavolus alveolaris'', the type species, is widely ...

'' in 2013. This reorganization was accepted and verified in later studies.

Description

The

of ''Favolus'' fungi are

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), a ...

, and have a stipe that is situated laterally to substipitate or almost sessile. The shape of the

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...

is spatulate (with a broad, rounded end), reniform (kidney shaped) to dimidiate (divided into two equal parts). The texture of the cap surface can be smooth, or may have minute hairs, sometimes with stiff tufts or spiny scales toward the base. Often featuring radial grooves, the cap surface is variable in colour. The stipe is cylindrical to flattened or reduced. The internal tissue of the fruit body (

context In semiotics, linguistics, sociology and anthropology, context refers to those objects or entities which surround a ''focal event'', in these disciplines typically a communicative event, of some kind. Context is "a frame that surrounds the event ...

) has a tough and fleshy to leathery texture when fresh, becoming leathery to corky or brittle when dried. Pores on the underside of the cap are large to small, and either regular or radially elongated. ''Favolus'' has a dimitic hyphal system, containing both generative and skeletal-binding

hypha A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium. Structure A hypha consists of one o ...

e. The generative hyphae are either with or without

clamp connection A clamp connection is a hook-like structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is a characteristic feature of basidiomycete fungi. It is created to ensure that each cell, or segment of hypha separated by septa (cross walls), rece ...

s. Skeletal-binding hyphae are usually dominating, arboriform (tree-like), and

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from , and . Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is named after its glassy appearance on fresh gross pathology. On light microscopy of H&E stained slides, the extracellula ...

. The

cap cuticle The pileipellis is the uppermost layer of hyphae in the pileus of a fungal fruit body. It covers the trama, the fleshy tissue of the fruit body. The pileipellis is more or less synonymous with the cuticle, but the cuticle generally describes th ...

is not differentiated into distinct layers; if present it comprises non-agglutinated parallel hyphae that are up to 50

μm The micrometre (Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a unit of length in the International System ...

thick.

Basidia A basidium (: basidia) is a microscopic spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of reproductive bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main characteristic features of the group. These bodies are also ...

are club-shaped, four-

sterigma In biology, a sterigma (: sterigmata) is a small supporting structure. It commonly refers to an extension of the basidium (the spore-bearing cells) consisting of a basal filamentous part and a slender projection which carries a spore at the tip ...

te.

Spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plant ...

are cylindrical to navicular (boat-shaped), thin-walled, smooth, and hyaline. ''Favolus'' differs from ''Neofavolus'' in the features of the cap surface. In ''Neofavolus'', it is smooth to scaly, with a cutis made of hyaline to brown, parallel and agglutinated, generative hyphae that are distinct from contextual hyphae, which mainly comprise non-agglutinated skeletal-binding hyphae.

Species

Index Fungorum ''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names (scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. As of 2015, the project is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of three partners along with Landcare Research and th ...

accepts 25 species of ''Favolus''. *'' Favolus acervatus'' (Lloyd) Sotome & T.Hatt. (2013) – Singapore; Japan *'' Favolus africanus'' Lloyd (1923) *'' Favolus albidus'' Massee (1902) *'' Favolus albostipes'' (Ryvarden & Iturr.) Zmitr. & Kovalenko (2016) – Venezuela *'' Favolus albus'' Lloyd (1936) *'' Favolus argentinensis'' Speg. (1909) – South America *'' Favolus beelii'' Hendr. (1948) *'' Favolus bengala'' Bose (1922) *'' Favolus biskeletalis'' (Corner) Zmitr. & Kovalenko (2016) – Brazil *'' Favolus brasiliensis'' (Fr.) Fr. (1830) *'' Favolus elongoporus'' (Drechsler-Santos & Ryvarden) Zmitr. & Kovalenko (2016) *'' Favolus gracilisporus'' H.Lee, N.K.Kim & Y.W.Lim (2017) *'' Favolus grammocephalus'' (Berk.) Imazeki (1943) *'' Favolus ianthinus'' (Gibertoni & Ryvarden) Zmitr. & Kovalenko (2016) – Guyana; Brazil *''

Favolus intestinalis ''Favolus'', or honeycomb fungus, is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The fruit bodies of ''Favolus'' species are fleshy with radially arranged pores on the underside of the cap that are angular and deeply pitted, somewhat resembling ...

'' Berk. (1851) *'' Favolus maxonii'' (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter (1912) *'' Favolus microporus'' (Murrill) Sacc. & D.Sacc. (1905) *'' Favolus niger'' Lloyd (1936) *'' Favolus niveus'' J.L.Zhou & B.K.Cui (2017) *'' Favolus parviporus'' Lloyd (1922) *'' Favolus pseudobetulinus'' (Murashk. ex Pilát) Sotome & T.Hatt. (2013) – Eurasia, Japan, North America *'' Favolus pseudoemerici'' J.L.Zhou & B.K.Cui (2017) *'' Favolus pseudoprinceps'' (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter (1912) *'' Favolus septatus'' J.L.Zhou & B.K.Cui (2017) *'' Favolus subspathulatus'' Lloyd (1936) *'' Favolus subtropicus'' J.L.Zhou & B.K.Cui (2017) *'' Favolus taxodii'' (Murrill) Sacc. & D.Sacc. (1905) *''

Favolus tenuiculus ''Favolus'', or honeycomb fungus, is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The fruit bodies of ''Favolus'' species are fleshy with radially arranged pores on the underside of the cap that are angular and deeply pitted, somewhat resembling ...

'' P.Beauv. (1806) *'' Favolus tessellatulus'' (Murrill) Sacc. & D.Sacc. (1905) *'' Favolus trigonus'' Lloyd (1924)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5438591 Polyporaceae Polyporales genera Fungi described in 1805 Fungus species