The Hericiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Russulales. The best known genus is '' Hericium'', species of which are valued for their medicinal properties in Oriental medicine. Taxa are mainly known from north temperate regions, and are saprobic on rotting wood. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that ''Hericiaceae'' belongs to the russuloid

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

of homobasidiomycetes, and morphological and

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 bioche ...

evidence links it with the families

Auriscalpiaceae The Auriscalpiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Russulales. Like much of the Russulales, it has been defined through molecular phylogeny, and includes physically dissimilar species, such as the tooth fungus ''Auriscalpium'' and the gilled ...

, Bondarzewiaceae and

Echinodontiaceae The Echinodontiaceae are a family of crust fungi in the order Russulales. Species of this family, divided amongst two genera—'' Echinodontium'' and '' Laurilia''—have a widespread distribution, although they are especially predominant in nort ...

. Originally proposed in 1961 by Taisiya Lvovna Nikolayeva as a subfamily of Hydnaceae, Hericiaceae was formally published as a family by

Marinus Anton Donk Marinus Anton Donk (14 August 1908 – 2 September 1972) was a Dutch mycologist. He specialized in the taxonomy and nomenclature of mushrooms. Rolf Singer wrote in his obituary that he was "one of the most outstanding figures of contemporary myc ...

in 1964.

Description

Species of this family commonly have fruitbodies with pegs, spines, or teeth hanging from 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 some ...

References

Russulales Basidiomycota families {{Russulales-stub