''Ischnoderma'' 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 ...

polypore Polypores, also called bracket or shelf fungi, are a morphological group of basidiomycete-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi that form large fruiting bodies called conks, which are typically woody, circular, shelf- or bracket-shaped, ...

fungi. Species in the genus have dark brown and

tomentose Trichomes (; ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...

fruit bodies that become darker brown to black and smooth when mature. The genus, widespread in

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

regions, contains an estimated 10 species.

Taxonomy

''Ischnoderma'' was

circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...

by Finnish mycologist

Petter Adolf Karsten Petter Adolf Karsten (16 February 1834 – 22 March 1917) was a Finland, Finnish mycology, mycologist, the foremost expert on the fungi of Finland in his day, and known in consequence as the "father of Finnish mycology". Karsten was born in Merim ...

in 1879. Although ''Ischnoderma'' has traditionally been

classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper * The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...

in the family

Fomitopsidaceae The Fomitopsidaceae are a family (biology), family of fungi in the order Polyporales. Most species are parasitic on woody plants, and tend to cause Wood-decay fungus#Brown rot, brown rots. The name comes from ''Fomitopsis'' (meaning "looking like ...

Phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...

studies have demonstrated its isolated

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...

position in the

Polyporales The Polyporales are an order (biology), order of about 1,800 species of fungi in the division (mycology), division Basidiomycota. The order includes some (but not all) polypores as well as many corticioid fungi and a few agarics (mainly in the ge ...

. Justo and colleagues suggest that ''Ischnoderma'' would be better placed as the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearin ...

of Ischnodermataceae, a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

originally proposed by Walter Jülich in 1981. The generic name ''Ischnoderma'' combines the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

words ("dry") and ("skin").

Chemistry

The

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 ...

, '' I. resinosum'', is used in

mushroom dye Mushrooms can be used to create color Dye#Synthetic dyes, dyes via color-extraction with a solvent (often ammonia) as well as particulation of raw material. The Sarcodon imbricatus, shingled hedgehog mushroom and related species contain blue-green ...

ing to produce various shades of brown. It has been shown to efficiently decolorize several

structurally A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

different

synthetic dyes A Colourant, colorant is any substance that changes the spectral transmittance or reflectance of a material. Synthetic colorants are those created in a laboratory or industrial setting. The production and improvement of colorants was a driver of th ...

amaranth ''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan group of more than 50 species which make up the genus of annual plant, annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some names include "prostrate pigweed" an ...

, Remazol Brilliant Blue R,

Phthalocyanine Blue BN Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), also called phthalocyanine blue, phthalo blue and many other names, is a bright, crystalline, synthetic blue pigment from the group of dyes based on phthalocyanines. Its brilliant blue is frequently used in paints ...

, and Poly R-478. '' Ischnoderma benzoinum'' has

antiviral Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Antiviral drugs are a class of antimicrobials ...

activity against type A influenza virus of birds and

humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

Uses

Young, fleshy specimens of both ''I. resinosum'' and ''I. benzoinum'' may be cooked and eaten, but the species can become hard and inedible later in life.

Species

*'' Ischnoderma albotextum'' (Lloyd) D.A.Reid (1973) *'' Ischnoderma benzoinum'' (Wahlenb.) P.Karst. (1881) *'' Ischnoderma brasiliense'' Corner (1989)– Brazil *'' Ischnoderma friabile'' Corner (1989) –

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

*'' Ischnoderma fuscum'' (Pilát) Rauschert (1990) *'' Ischnoderma novo-guineense'' Imazeki (1952) – Japan *'' Ischnoderma porphyrites'' Corner (1989) – Brazil *'' Ischnoderma resinosum'' (Schrad.) P.Karst. (1879) *'' Ischnoderma rosulatum'' (G.Cunn.) P.K.Buchanan & Ryvarden (1988) – New Zealand *'' Ischnoderma solomonense'' Corner (1989) – South Solomons

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6079366 Fomitopsidaceae Polyporales genera Taxa named by Petter Adolf Karsten Taxa described in 1879