The Meruliaceae are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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

Polyporales The Polyporales are an order of about 1800 species of fungi in the division Basidiomycota. The order includes some (but not all) polypores as well as many corticioid fungi and a few agarics (mainly in the genus ''Lentinus''). Many species wit ...

. According to a 2008 estimate, the family contains 47

genera 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 ...

and 420 species. ,

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

accepts 645 species in the family.

Taxonomy

The family was formally

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every po ...

by English mycologist

Carleton Rea Carleton Rea (7 May 1861 – 26 June 1946) was an English mycologist, botanist, and naturalist. Background and education Carleton Rea was born in Worcester, the son of the City Coroner. He was educated at The King's School and Magdalen ...

in 1922, with ''

Merulius ''Merulius'' is a genus of poroid fungi in the family Meruliaceae. , Index Fungorum accepts two species in ''Merulius'': '' M. debriscola'', and the type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a ke ...

'' as the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus 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-bearing type of a nomina ...

. He also included the genera '' Phlebia'', ''

Coniophora ''Coniophora'' is a genus of fungi within the Coniophoraceae family. There are 20 species in the genus, which has a widespread distribution. One notable member is the cellar fungus (''C. puteana''), which causes wet rot in wood. Molecular a ...

'' (now placed in the Coniophoraceae), and ''Coniophorella'' (now considered a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly 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 al ...

of ''Coniophora''). His description of the Meruliaceae was as follows: "Hymenium spread over veins, anastomosing pores, or quite smooth; ''edge of veins or pores fertile.''" Several genera formerly classified in the Meruliaceae were moved to the family Steccherinaceae based on

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 ...

evidence.

Description

Meruliaceae species are crust-like or

polyporoid Polypores are a group of fungi that form large fruiting bodies with pores or tubes on the underside (see Delimitation for exceptions). They are a morphological group of basidiomycetes-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi, and not all polypor ...

, and often have a waxy appearance when dry. Their

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 ...

l systems are monomitic (containing only tightly arranged generative hyphae), and these hyphae have

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

s. The

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual 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 plants, algae, ...

are smooth, thin-walled, and

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none. Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is ...

(translucent). Cystidia are often present in the

hymenium The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others som ...

. Although rare, some species have a dimitic hyphal system (with both generative and skeletal hyphae). Meruliaceae fungi cause

white rot A wood-decay or xylophagous fungus is any species of fungus that digests moist wood, causing it to rot. Some species of wood-decay fungi attack dead wood, such as brown rot, and some, such as '' Armillaria'' (honey fungus), are parasitic and col ...

Genera

*'' Abortiporus'' Murrill (1904) – 3 species *'' Amaurohydnum'' Jülich (1978) – 1 species *'' Amauromyces'' Jülich (1978) – 1 species *'' Aquascypha'' D.A.Reid (1965) – 1 species *'' Aurantiopileus'' Ginns, D.L.Lindner & T.J.Baroni (2010) *'' Aurantiporus'' Murrill (1905) – 5 species *'' Bjerkandera'' P.Karst. (1879) – 7 species *'' Bulbillomyces'' Jülich (1974) – 1 species *'' Cerocorticium'' Henn. (1900) – 7 species *'' Chrysoderma'' Boidin & Gilles (1991) – 1 species *'' Climacodon'' P.Karst. (1881) – 7 species *'' Columnodontia'' Jülich (1979) – 1 species *''

Conohypha ''Conohypha'' is a genus of two species of fungi in the family Meruliaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Swiss mycologist Walter Jülich in 1975. The crust-like fruit bodies of ''Conohypha'' are white to cream in colour and membrane-like. Th ...

'' Jülich (1975) – 2 species *''

Coralloderma ''Coralloderma'' is a genus of fungi in the family Meruliaceae The Meruliaceae are a family of fungi in the order Polyporales. According to a 2008 estimate, the family contains 47 genera and 420 species. , Index Fungorum accepts 645 species i ...

'' D.A.Reid (1965) – 3 species *''

Crustoderma ''Crustoderma'' is a genus of crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. Species *''Crustoderma borbonicum'' Boidin & Gilles (1991) *''Crustoderma carolinense'' Nakasone (1984) *''Crustoderma corneum'' (Bourdot & Galzin) Nakasone (1984) *''Crustoder ...

'' Parmasto (1968) – 18 species *'' Crustodontia'' Hjortstam & Ryvarden (2005) – 1 species *''

Cyanodontia ''Cyanodontia'' is a fungal genus in the family Meruliaceae. It is a monotypic genus, circumscribed by mycologist Kurt Hjorstam in 1987 to contain the single species ''Cyanodontia spathulata''. This is a toothed crust fungus that is found in E ...

'' Hjortstam (1987) – 1 species *'' Cymatoderma'' Jungh. (1840) – 1 species *'' Diacanthodes'' Singer (1945) – 3 species *'' Elaphroporia'' Z.Q.Wu & C.L.Zhao (2018) – 1 species *'' Gyrophanopsis'' Jülich (1979) – 2 species *''

Hydnophlebia ''Hydnophlebia'' is a genus of five species of toothed crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. All species are wood-decay fungi that cause a white rot. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed by Estonian mycologist Erast Parmasto in 1967. The t ...

'' Parmasto (1967)– 2 species *'' Hyphoderma'' Wallr. (1833) – 104 species *''

Hyphodontiastra ''Hyphodontiastra'' is a fungal genus in the family Meruliaceae The Meruliaceae are a family of fungi in the order Polyporales. According to a 2008 estimate, the family contains 47 genera and 420 species. , Index Fungorum accepts 645 species ...

'' Hjortstam (1999) – 1 species *''

Hypochnicium ''Hypochnicium'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the family Meruliaceae. The genus was circumscribed by mycologist John Eriksson in 1958. Species *''Hypochnicium albostramineum'' (Bres.) Hallenb. (1985) *'' Hypochnicium aotearoae'' B.C.Paul ...

'' J.Erikss. (1958) – 35 species *''

Lilaceophlebia ''Lilaceophlebia'' is a genus of three species of crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. The genus was first proposed by Erast Parmasto in 1968 as a section of the genus ''Phlebia ''Phlebia'' is a genus of mostly crust fungi in the family Me ...

'' (Parmasto) Spirin & Zmitr. (2004) – 3 species *'' Luteoporia'' F.Wu, Jia J.Chen & S.H.He (2016) – 1 species *''

'' Fr. (1821) – 2 species *'' Mycoacia'' Donk (1931) – 17 species *'' Mycoaciella'' J.Erikss. & Ryvarden (1978) – 5 species *'' Mycoleptodonoides'' Nikol. (1952) – 6 species *'' Niemelaea'' Zmitr., Ezhov & Khimich (2015) – 3 species *'' Odoria'' V.Papp & Dima (2018) – 1 species *'' Phlebia'' Fr. (1821) – 89 species *'' Phlebiporia'' Jia J.Chen, B.K.Cui & Y.C.Dai (2014) – 1 species *'' Pirex'' Hjortstam & Ryvarden (1985) – 1 species *'' Podoscypha'' Pat. (1900) – 39 species *''

Radulodon ''Radulodon'' is a genus of toothed crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 1972 by Norwegian mycologist Leif Ryvarden, with '' R. americanus'' as the type species. Species *'' Radulodon acaciae'' G.Kaur, A ...

'' Ryvarden (1972) – 11 species *'' Sarcodontia'' Schulzer (1866) – 6 species *''

Scopuloides ''Scopuloides'' is a genus of five species of crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. Taxonomy ''Scopuloides'' was first proposed by George Edward Massee in 1890 as a subgenus of '' Peniophora'', then raised to generic status by Franz von Höhn ...

'' (Massee) Höhn. & Litsch. (1908) – 5 species *''

Stegiacantha ''Stegiacantha'' is a fungal genus in the family Meruliaceae. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single species ''Stegiacantha petaloides'', found in Madagascar. This fungus was first described by American mycologist Curtis Gates Lloyd in 1 ...

'' Maas Geest. (1966) – 1 species *''

Uncobasidium ''Uncobasidium'' is a genus of two species of crust fungi in the Meruliaceae family . The genus was circumscribed by mycologists Kurt Hjorstam and Leif Ryvarden in 1978 with the European fungus '' U. luteolum'' as the type species. The So ...

'' Hjortstam & Ryvarden (1978) – 2 species

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2502557 Meruliaceae Taxa described in 1922