The Russulales are an
order of the
Agaricomycetes
The Agaricomycetes are a class of fungi in the division Basidiomycota. The taxon is roughly identical to that defined for the Homobasidiomycetes (alternatively called holobasidiomycetes) by Hibbett & Thorn, with the inclusion of Auriculariales ...
, (which include the
agaric genera ''
Russula'' and ''
Lactarius
''Lactarius'' is a genus of mushroom-producing, ectomycorrhizal fungi, containing several Edible mushroom, edible species. The species of the genus, common name, commonly known as milk-caps, are characterized by the milky fluid ("latex") they ex ...
'' and their
polyporoid and corticioid relatives). According to the ''Dictionary of the Fungi'' (10th edition, 2008), the order consists of 12
families, 80
genera
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
, and 1767
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
.
According to ''Species Fungorum'' (January 2016), the order contains 13 families, 117 genera (16 not assigned to a family), and 3,060 species.
Russuloid agarics represent an independent evolutionary line of agarics, not directly related to the
Agaricales.
This group also includes a number of russuloid
hypogeous fungi,
polypores such as ''
Bondarzewia'', some
tooth fungi (e.g. ''
Auriscalpium vulgare''), and
club fungi e.g. ''
Artomyces''.
Basidiospores in this group are typically ornamented with
amyloid warts or
reticulation but a few exceptions are known, e.g. ''
Heterobasidion annosum''. The genus ''
Clavicorona'' was often treated in the Russulales, but its
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 ...
, ''
C. taxophila'', is in the
Agaricales. The remaining species are retained in the Russulales in the genus ''
Artomyces''.
Genera ''Incertae sedis''
There are several genera classified in the Russulales that are i) poorly known, ii) have not been subjected to DNA analysis, or iii) if analysed phylogenetically do not group with as yet named or identified families, and have not been assigned to a specific family (i.e., ''
Incertae sedis
or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...
'' with respect to familial placement). These include:
*''
Aleurocystidiellum''
*''
Dentipellopsis''
*''
Gloeoasterostroma''
*''
Gloeohypochnicium''
*''
Gloeopeniophorella''
*''
Haloaleurodiscus''
*''
Neoalbatrellus''
*''
Polypus''
*''
Scopulodontia''
*''
Scytinostromella''
*''
Xeroceps''
References
External links
Russulales News
{{Authority control
Basidiomycota orders