''Irpex'' 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 ...
of
corticioid fungi
The corticioid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota typically having effused, smooth basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that are formed on the undersides of dead tree trunks or branches. They are sometimes colloquially called crust fungi or pa ...
in the order
Polyporales
The Polyporales are an order of about 1800 species of fungi in the division Basidiomycota. The order includes some (but not all) polypores as well as many corticioid fungi and a few agarics (mainly in the genus ''Lentinus''). Many species within ...
. Species produce fruit bodies that grow as a crust on the surface of dead hardwoods. The crust features an irpicioid
spore-bearing surface (for which the genus is named), meaning it has irregular and flattened teeth. ''Irpex'' is distinguished from the similar genera ''
Junghuhnia'' and ''
Steccherinum
''Steccherinum'' is a widely distributed genus of toothed crust fungi in the family Steccherinaceae.
Taxonomy
''Steccherinum'' was circumscribed by Samuel Frederick Gray in his 1821 work ''A Natural Arrangement of British Plants''.
Descripti ...
'' by the simple
septa
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...
found in the generative
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.
Classification
Although ''Irpex'' has been classified in the family
Steccherinaceae
The Steccherinaceae are a family of about 200 species of fungi in the order Polyporales. It includes crust-like, toothed, and poroid species that cause a white rot in dead wood.
Taxonomy
The family was circumscribed by Czech mycologist Erast ...
,
or the
Meruliaceae
The Meruliaceae are a family of fungi in the order Polyporales. According to a 2008 estimate, the family contains 47 genera and 420 species. , Index Fungorum accepts 645 species in the family.
Taxonomy
The family was formally circumscribed by E ...
,
phylogenetic analysis has shown that its
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 ...
, ''
Irpex lacteus'', is more closely related to ''
Byssomerulius
''Byssomerulius'' is a widely distributed genus of crust fungi.
Taxonomy
''Byssomerulius'' was circumscribed by Estonian mycologist Erast Parmasto in 1967. Although traditionally classified in the family Phanerochaetaceae, recent molecular phylo ...
'' in the
Phanerochaetaceae
The Phanerochaetaceae are a family of mostly crust fungi in the order Polyporales.
Taxonomy
Phanerochaetaceae was first conceived by Swedish mycologist John Eriksson in 1958 as the subfamily Phanerochaetoideae of the Corticiaceae. It was later ...
.
Justo and colleagues
support a 2003 proposal that places ''Irpex'' as the
type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...
of family
Irpicaceae
The Irpicaceae are a family of mostly polypores and crust fungi in the order Polyporales.
Taxonomy
The family was circumscribed in 2003 by mycologists Viacheslav Spirin and Ivan Zmitrovich. The type genus is '' Irpex''. Later multi-gene phylogen ...
.
Species
*''
Irpex africanus''
Van der Byl (1934) – South Africa
*''
Irpex alboluteus''
Rick (1959) – Brazil
*''
Irpex aridus''
(Svrcek) Kotir. & Saaren. (2002)
*''
Irpex castaneus''
Lloyd (1920)
*''
Irpex conchiformis''
(Sacc.) Kotir. & Saaren. (2002)
*''
Irpex consors''
Berk. (1878)
*''
Irpex cremicolor''
Miettinen, Niemelä & Ryvarden (2007) – North Europe
*''
Irpex destruens''
Petch (1909)
*''
Irpex epitephrus''
Cleland (1936)
*''
Irpex gracillimus''
Pilát (1925)
*''
Irpex hacksungii''
J.S.Lee & Y.W.Lim (2009) – Korea
*''
Irpex holoporus''
(Pers.) Sacc. & Traverso (1910)
*''
Irpex hydnoides''
Y.W.Lim & H.S.Jung (2003)
*''
Irpex irpicinus''
(Berk. & Broome) D.A.Reid (1963) – Australia
*''
Irpex iyoensis''
Yasuda (1917)
*''
Irpex javensis''
Lloyd (1925)
*''
Irpex kusanoi''
Henn. & Shirai (1900)
*''
Irpex lacteus''
(Fr.) Fr. ( 1828)
*''
Irpex lamelliformis''
Lloyd (1917)
*''
Irpex lepidocarpus''
(P.Karst.) Sacc. & Trotter (1912)
*''
Irpex litschaueri''
(Bourdot & Galzin) Kotir. & Saaren. (2002)
*''
Irpex longisporus''
Rick (1959) – Brazil
*''
Irpex longus''
Rick (1959) – Brazil
*''
Irpex merulioides''
(Berk. & Broome) Lloyd (1914)
*''
Irpex microdon''
Rick (1959) – Brazil
*''
Irpex mikhnoi''
(P.Karst.) Sacc. & Trotter (1912)
*''
Irpex miyabei''
Lloyd (1923)
*''
Irpex mukhinii''
(Kotir. & Y.C.Dai) Kotir. & Saaren. (2002)
*''
Irpex narymicus''
(Pilát) Saaren. & Kotir. (2002)
*''
Irpex noharae''
(Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter (1912)
*''
Irpex ochrosimilis''
Lloyd (1924)
*''
Irpex owensii''
Lloyd (1916)
*''
Irpex pallidus''
Lloyd (1920)
*''
Irpex palmatus''
(Berk.) Speg. (1959) – Rio de Janeiro
*''
Irpex poria''
Rick (1959) – Brazil
*''
Irpex rickii''
Lloyd (1925)
*''
Irpex roseotingens''
(Hjortstam & Ryvarden) Saaren. & Kotir. (2002)
*''
Irpex sepiarius''
Lloyd (1917)
*''
Irpex subhypogaeus''
Rick (1932)
*''
Irpex subrawakensis''
(Murrill) Saaren. & Kotir. (2002)
*''
Irpex tasmanicus''
Syd. & P.Syd. (1903)
*''
Irpex tiliaceus''
Pilát (1925)
*''
Irpex tomentosocinctus''
Rick (1959) – Brazil
*''
Irpex unicolor''
Lloyd (1920)
*''
Irpex vagus''
(Burds. & Nakasone) Saaren. & Kotir. (2002)
*''
Irpex vellereus''
Berk. & Broome (1873) – Philippines
*''
Irpex versatilis''
Lloyd (1917)
*''
Irpex woronowii''
Bres. (1920)
References
Fungi described in 1825
Meruliaceae
Polyporales genera
Taxa named by Elias Magnus Fries
{{Polyporales-stub