''Hypoxylon'' is a genus of
ascomycete
Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defi ...
s commonly found on dead wood, and usually one of the earliest species to colonise dead wood. A common European species is ''Hypoxylon fragiforme'' which is particular common on dead trunks of
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
.
Based on morphological studies and gene sequence analyses, 27 species formerly assigned to ''Hypoxylon'' sect. ''Annulata'' were reassigned to a new genus called ''
Annulohypoxylon
''Annulohypoxylon'', sometimes called cramp balls, is a genus of fungi in the family Xylariaceae. The 27 species in the genus have a collectively widespread distribution.
The genus ''Annulohypoxylon'' was created in 2005 and contains species for ...
'' in 2005.
Research in Iran has shown the potential of some species of Hypoxylon in producing chemicals that are antagonistic against the disease
Ash dieback
''Hymenoscyphus fraxineus'' () is an ascomycete fungus that causes ash dieback, a chronic fungal disease of ash trees in Europe characterised by leaf loss and crown dieback in infected trees. The fungus was first scientifically described in 20 ...
.
Use in the cultivation of ''Tremella fuciformis''
Some species in the genus ''Hypoxylon'' may be used in the cultivation of ''
Tremella fuciformis
''Tremella fuciformis'' is a species of fungus; it produces white, frond-like, gelatinous basidiocarps (fruiting bodies). It is widespread, especially in the tropics, where it can be found on the dead branches of broadleaf trees. This fungus is c ...
'', one of the foremost
medicinal and
culinary fungi of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
''Tremella fuciformis'' is a
parasitic yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitut ...
that does not form an edible fruitbody without parasitizing another fungus.
Its preferred host, formerly known as ''Hypoxylon archeri'',
was moved to the closely related genus ''
Annulohypoxylon
''Annulohypoxylon'', sometimes called cramp balls, is a genus of fungi in the family Xylariaceae. The 27 species in the genus have a collectively widespread distribution.
The genus ''Annulohypoxylon'' was created in 2005 and contains species for ...
'' and is now known as ''
Annulohypoxylon archeri''.
Cultivators usually pair cultures of ''Tremella fuciformis'' with this species, but mushroom cultivation books written before the new genus was created suggest other ''Hypoxylon'' species may be used.
Gallery
File:2008-10-18_Hypoxylon_sp._Bull_26073.jpg, ''Hypoxylon sp.''
File:Hypoxylon_Fragiforme.jpg, '' Hypoxylon fragiforme''
File:Přírodní_park_Baba314.jpg, ''Hypoxylon fragiforme''
File:Hypoxylon fragiforme & Dialonectria episphaeria 81209.jpg, ''Nectria episphaeria
''Nectria'' is a genus of Ascomycete fungi. They are most often encountered as saprophytes on decaying wood but some species can also occur as parasites of trees, especially fruit trees (for example apple) and a number of other hardwood trees. ...
'' (red beads) growing on ''Hypoxylon fragiforme''
File:Hypoxylon fragiforme & Dialonectria episphaeria 81240-2.jpg, ''Nectria episphaeria'' growing on ''Hypoxylon fragiforme''
See also
* ''
Tremella fuciformis
''Tremella fuciformis'' is a species of fungus; it produces white, frond-like, gelatinous basidiocarps (fruiting bodies). It is widespread, especially in the tropics, where it can be found on the dead branches of broadleaf trees. This fungus is c ...
''
References
External links
Index FungorumPage with extensive information on the Hypoxylon genus
Xylariales
Taxa named by Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard
Sordariomycetes genera
{{Xylariales-stub