''Faerberia'' is a fungal

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

in the family

Polyporaceae The Polyporaceae are a family of poroid fungi belonging to the Basidiomycota. The flesh of their fruit bodies varies from soft (as in the case of the dryad's saddle illustrated) to very tough. Most members of this family have their hymeniu ...

. It is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus, containing the single species ''Faerberia carbonaria'', which is commonly known as the firesite funnel due to its habitat of burned soil.

Taxonomy

This species was originally described in 1805 as ''Merulius carbonarius'' by botanists

Johannes Baptista von Albertini Johannes Baptista von Albertini (17 February 1769 – 6 December 1831) was a German botanist, mycologist and clergyman of the Moravian Church. He was born in the town of Neuwied. He studied theology in Niesky and at the seminary in Barby. During ...

and Lewis David de Schweinitz. ''Faerberia'' was circumscribed in 1981 by Czech mycologist

Zdeněk Pouzar Zdeněk Pouzar (born 13 April 1932) is a Czech mycologist. Along with František Kotlaba, he published several works about the taxonomy of polypore, corticioid, and gilled fungi. Pouzar is a noted expert on stromatic pyrenomycetes. Until 2012, he ...

Description

''Faerberia carbonaria'' is a small funnel mushroom with tough grey-white flesh. Although it belongs to the family

it does have gills. As a somewhat rare, monotypic, gilled polypore with a habitat of burned soil it is therefore quite an unusual species. Cap: 0.5-2cm. Funnel shaped and umbilicate, smooth or lightly fibrous texture. The cap margin is usually scalloped and inrolled. Stem: 1.5-7cm. Often curved, irregular and fused together above the swollen base which sometimes displays white rhizoids. Gills: Grey, becoming paler towards the stipe. Thick, decurrent and usually with significant forking. Spore print: White. Spores: Ellipsoid, smooth, non-amyloid. 8-9.5 x 4.5-5.5 μm. Taste: Indefinite and mild. Smell: Faint and indefinite.

Habitat and Distribution

''F. carbonaria'' grows on burned soil with woodland fire sites being its most common habitat. It may grow in small trooping groups or be found individually but it is an uncommon find appearing through Summer and Autumn.

Edibility

Whilst it is an

edible mushroom Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruit bodies of several species of macrofungi (fungi which bear fruiting structures that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye). They can appear either below ground (hypogeous) or above ground ...

it is regarded as a poor edible due to its tough texture, mild taste and general rarity.

References

Fungi described in 1981 Polyporaceae Monotypic Basidiomycota genera {{Polyporales-stub