''Neolentinus'' 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 ...

of wood-decaying

agaric An agaric () is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. It is a type of mushroom (or toadstool) ...

s with tough (leathery to woody) fruit bodies composed of dimitic tissue, serrated lamella edges, and nonamyloid white

binucleate Binucleated cells are cells that contain two nuclei. This type of cell is most commonly found in cancer cells and may arise from a variety of causes. Binucleation can be easily visualized through staining and microscopy. In general, binucleati ...

basidiospores A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by basidiomycete fungi, a grouping that includes mushrooms, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are pr ...

among other features. It was segregated from ''

Lentinus ''Lentinus'' is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The genus is widely distributed, with many species found in subtropical regions. The genus name ''Lentinus'' is derived from the Latin ''lent'', meaning "pliable", and ''inus'', meani ...

'' in the broad

taxonomic 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme of classes (a taxonomy) and the allocation ...

sense, hence the derivation of the name. Biologically ''Neolentinus'' species produce a brown rot type of decay of wood, whereas ''Lentinus'' causes a white rot.

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 shows that the two genera are unrelated. ''Neolentinus'' is

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 ...

ally allied to other brown rot genera such as '' Gloeophyllum'', '' Heliocybe'', and '' Veluticeps''. A new

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

, the Gloeophyllales, has been described for these

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 ...

. ''Heliocybe'' had been 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 ...

but it differs phylogenetically and anatomically by the lack of

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 that all ''Neolentinus'' produce on their generative hyphae.

Species

The best known species in this genus is ''

Neolentinus lepideus ''Neolentinus lepideus'' is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus ''Neolentinus'', until recently also widely known as ''Lentinus lepideus''. Common names for it include scaly sawgill, scaly lentinus and train wrecker. Description ''Neolentinus ...

'', sometimes known as the "train wrecker", a name coined because the fungus is one of the few decay fungi that can grow on

creosote Creosote is a category of carbonaceous chemicals formed by the distillation of various tars and pyrolysis of plant-derived material, such as wood, or fossil fuel. They are typically used as preservatives or antiseptics. Some creosote types w ...

-treated railroad ties. ''Neolentinus lepideus'' also grows on timbers in old mines, but because it requires light to form its

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 ...

, the fungus forms bizarre growth forms when fruit bodies start to form in dark mine shafts or cellars. ''Neolentinus lepideus'' is widely distributed. ''Neolentinus kauffmanii'' decays

sitka spruce ''Picea sitchensis'', the Sitka spruce, is a large, coniferous, evergreen tree growing to just over tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height that can exceed 5 m (16 ft). It is by far the largest species of spruce and the fifth- ...

on the west coast of North America, producing a variation of brown rot called brown pocket rot. ''Neolentinus ponderosus'' is another western North American species found on the ground, growing from the roots of or growing from the stumps of

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

, predominantly ''Pinus ponderosa'' in montane areas. In

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, it is often solitary, common in the Sierra, and is rare at low elevations. The fruiting commences from late spring to late summer. Sought out when young and tender, it has an excellent taste. ''Neolentinus dactyloides'' is a

fire ecology Fire ecology is a scientific discipline concerned with the effects of fire on natural ecosystems. Many ecosystems, particularly prairie, savanna, chaparral and coniferous forests, have evolved with fire as an essential contributor to habitat vit ...

specie

that fruits from massive subterranean pseudosclerotium, pseudosclerotia in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Etymology

''Neolentinus'' means the new (Latin - ''neo-'') ''Lentinus''. ''

'' is an older generic name historically applied to a broad group of agarics, and now restricted in application excluding ''Neolentinus''.

References

External links

''Neolentinus ponderosus'' at California Fungi
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q6993128 Gloeophyllales Agaricomycetes genera