''Favolus'', or honeycomb fungus, is a

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 ...

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

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 ...

. The

fruit bodies The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...

of ''Favolus'' species are fleshy with radially arranged pores on the underside of the cap that are angular and deeply pitted, somewhat resembling a honeycomb.

Taxonomy

The naturalist Palisot de Beauvois was the first to use the name ''Favolus'' in his 1805 work ''Flore d'Oware et de Benin, en Afrique''. His

type species In 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 species that contains the biological type specimen ...

was ''Favolus hirtus'', a fungus first collected in Africa. Elias Fries used the name as a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

of '' Polyporus'' in 1821. Seven years later, Fries used the name ''Favolus'' for a different genus, with the tropical species ''F. brasiliensis'' as the type. Fries's concept of the genus was later accepted as it was published in one of the sanctioning works of mycology. ''Favolus hirtus'' is now called ''

Trametes hirta ''Trametes'' is a genus of fungi that is distinguished by a pileate basidiocarp, di- to trimitic hyphal systems, smooth non-dextrinoid spores, and a hymenium usually without true hymenial cystidia.Ryvarden L. (1991). "Genera of polypores: Nom ...

'', and Beauvois' concept of ''Favolus'' is placed in synonymy with '' Trametes''. The generic name ''Favolus'' is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''favus'' meaning '' honeycomb''. Until relatively recently, many works have considered ''Favolus'' to be synonymous with ''Polyporus''. Based on

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, ''Favolus'' species were shown to form two genera, and several species were transferred to ''

Neofavolus ''Neofavolus'' is a genus of four species of polypore fungi in the family Polyporaceae. All four known species of ''Neofavolus'' are known from temperate regions and unknown from the tropics. '' Neofavolus alveolaris'', the type species, is widel ...

'' in 2013. This reorganization was accepted and verified in later studies.

Description

The

of ''Favolus'' fungi are annual, and have a stipe that is situated laterally to substipitate or almost sessile. The shape of the cap is spatulate (with a broad, rounded end), reniform (kidney shaped) to dimidiate (divided into two equal parts). The texture of the cap surface can be smooth, or may have minute hairs, sometimes with stiff tufts or spiny scales toward the base. Often featuring radial grooves, the cap surface is variable in colour. The stipe is cylindrical to flattened or reduced. The internal tissue of the fruit body (

context Context may refer to: * Context (language use), the relevant constraints of the communicative situation that influence language use, language variation, and discourse summary Computing * Context (computing), the virtual environment required to su ...

) has a tough and fleshy to leathery texture when fresh, becoming leathery to corky or brittle when dried. Pores on the underside of the cap are large to small, and either regular or radially elongated. ''Favolus'' has a dimitic hyphal system, containing both generative and skeletal-binding

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 or ...

e. The generative hyphae are either with or without clamp connections. Skeletal-binding hyphae are usually dominating, arboriform (tree-like), 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 ...

. The

cap cuticle The pileipellis is the uppermost layer of hyphae in the pileus of a fungal fruit body. It covers the trama, the fleshy tissue of the fruit body. The pileipellis is more or less synonymous with the cuticle, but the cuticle generally describes th ...

is not differentiated into distinct layers; if present it comprises non-agglutinated parallel hyphae that are up to 50

μm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

thick. Basidia are club-shaped, four- sterigmate. Spores are cylindrical to navicular (boat-shaped), thin-walled, smooth, and hyaline. ''Favolus'' differs from ''Neofavolus'' in the features of the cap surface. In ''Neofavolus'', it is smooth to scaly, with a cutis made of hyaline to brown, parallel and agglutinated, generative hyphae that are distinct from contextual hyphae, which mainly comprise non-agglutinated skeletal-binding hyphae.

Species

, Index Fungorum accepts 25 species of ''Favolus''. *'' Favolus acervatus'' (Lloyd) Sotome & T.Hatt. (2013) – Singapore; Japan *'' Favolus africanus'' Lloyd (1923) *'' Favolus albidus'' Massee (1902) *'' Favolus albostipes'' (Ryvarden & Iturr.) Zmitr. & Kovalenko (2016) – Venezuela *''

Favolus albus ''Favolus'', or honeycomb fungus, is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The fruit bodies of ''Favolus'' species are fleshy with radially arranged pores on the underside of the cap that are angular and deeply pitted, somewhat resembling ...

'' Lloyd (1936) *'' Favolus argentinensis'' Speg. (1909) – South America *'' Favolus beelii'' Hendr. (1948) *'' Favolus bengala'' Bose (1922) *'' Favolus biskeletalis'' (Corner) Zmitr. & Kovalenko (2016) – Brazil *'' Favolus brasiliensis'' (Fr.) Fr. (1830) 2015-03-14 Favolus brasiliensis (Fr

*'' Favolus elongoporus'' (Drechsler-Santos & Ryvarden) Zmitr. & Kovalenko (2016) *'' Favolus gracilisporus'' H.Lee, N.K.Kim & Y.W.Lim (2017) *'' Favolus grammocephalus'' (Berk.) Imazeki (1943) *'' Favolus ianthinus'' (Gibertoni & Ryvarden) Zmitr. & Kovalenko (2016) – Guyana; Brazil *'' Favolus intestinalis'' Berk. (1851) *'' Favolus maxonii'' (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter (1912) *'' Favolus microporus'' (Murrill) Sacc. & D.Sacc. (1905) *''

Favolus niger ''Favolus'', or honeycomb fungus, is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The fruit bodies of ''Favolus'' species are fleshy with radially arranged pores on the underside of the cap that are angular and deeply pitted, somewhat resembling ...

'' Lloyd (1936) *'' Favolus niveus'' J.L.Zhou & B.K.Cui (2017) *'' Favolus parviporus'' Lloyd (1922) *'' Favolus pseudobetulinus'' (Murashk. ex Pilát) Sotome & T.Hatt. (2013) – Eurasia, Japan, North America *'' Favolus pseudoemerici'' J.L.Zhou & B.K.Cui (2017) *'' Favolus pseudoprinceps'' (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter (1912) *''

Favolus septatus ''Favolus'', or honeycomb fungus, is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The basidiocarp, fruit bodies of ''Favolus'' species are fleshy with radially arranged pores on the underside of the cap that are angular and deeply pitted, somewh ...

'' J.L.Zhou & B.K.Cui (2017) *'' Favolus subspathulatus'' Lloyd (1936) *'' Favolus subtropicus'' J.L.Zhou & B.K.Cui (2017) *'' Favolus taxodii'' (Murrill) Sacc. & D.Sacc. (1905) *''

Favolus tenuiculus ''Favolus'', or honeycomb fungus, is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The fruit bodies of ''Favolus'' species are fleshy with radially arranged pores on the underside of the cap that are angular and deeply pitted, somewhat resembling ...

'' P.Beauv. (1806) *'' Favolus tessellatulus'' (Murrill) Sacc. & D.Sacc. (1905) *'' Favolus trigonus'' Lloyd (1924)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5438591 Polyporaceae Polyporales genera Fungi described in 1805