''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 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 ''Junghuhnia'' is a genus of crust fungi in the family Steccherinaceae (formerly placed in the family Meruliaceae). It was circumscribed by Czech mycologist August Carl Joseph Corda in 1842. The generic name honours German-Dutch botanist Franz Wi ...

'' 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 ...

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 ''Irpex lacteus'' is a common crust fungus distributed throughout temperate areas of the world. It is the type of the genus '' Irpex''. ''Irpex lacteus'' is considered a polypore, but depending on growth conditions it can also produce a hydnoid ...

'', 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 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 ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' Van der Byl (1934) – South Africa *''

Irpex alboluteus ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' Rick (1959) – Brazil *''

Irpex aridus ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' (Svrcek) Kotir. & Saaren. (2002) *''

Irpex castaneus ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' Lloyd (1920) *''

Irpex conchiformis ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' (Sacc.) Kotir. & Saaren. (2002) *''

Irpex consors ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' Berk. (1878) *''

Irpex cremicolor ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' Miettinen, Niemelä & Ryvarden (2007) – North Europe *''

Irpex destruens ''Irpex destruens'' is a species of fungus in the family Meruliaceae. A plant pathogen, it causes stump rot. It was first described scientifically by English mycologist Thomas Petch Thomas Petch (born Hornsea, Yorkshire, 11 March 1870; died ...

'' Petch (1909) *'' Irpex epitephrus'' Cleland (1936) *'' Irpex gracillimus'' Pilát (1925) *'' Irpex hacksungii'' J.S.Lee & Y.W.Lim (2009) – Korea *''

Irpex holoporus ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' (Pers.) Sacc. & Traverso (1910) *'' Irpex hydnoides'' Y.W.Lim & H.S.Jung (2003) *'' Irpex irpicinus'' (Berk. & Broome) D.A.Reid (1963) – Australia *''

Irpex iyoensis ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' Yasuda (1917) *''

Irpex javensis ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' Lloyd (1925) *'' Irpex kusanoi'' Henn. & Shirai (1900) *''

'' (Fr.) Fr. ( 1828) *''

Irpex lamelliformis ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' 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 ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter (1912) *'' Irpex ochrosimilis'' Lloyd (1924) *'' Irpex owensii'' Lloyd (1916) *''

Irpex pallidus ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' Lloyd (1920) *'' Irpex palmatus'' (Berk.) Speg. (1959) – Rio de Janeiro *''

Irpex poria ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' 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 ''Irpex'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the order Polyporales. 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 ...

'' Bres. (1920)

References

Fungi described in 1825 Meruliaceae Polyporales genera Taxa named by Elias Magnus Fries {{Polyporales-stub