''Lentinellus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of white rot,

wood decay A wood-decay or xylophagous fungus is any species of fungus that digests moist wood, causing it to rot. Some species of wood-decay fungi attack dead wood, such as brown rot, and some, such as ''Armillaria'' (honey fungus), are parasitic and col ...

lamella Lamella (plural lamellae) means a small plate or flake in Latin, and in English may refer to: Biology * Lamella (mycology), a papery rib beneath a mushroom cap * Lamella (botany) * Lamella (surface anatomy), a plate-like structure in an animal ...

agaric An agaric () is a type of fungus fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. In the UK, agarics are called "mushroom ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Auriscalpiaceae The Auriscalpiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Russulales. Like much of the Russulales, it has been defined through molecular phylogeny Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular di ...

, further characterized in part by rough-walled,

amyloid Amyloids are aggregates of proteins characterised by a fibrillar morphology of 7–13 nm in diameter, a beta sheet (β-sheet) secondary structure (known as cross-β) and ability to be stained by particular dyes, such as Congo red. In the huma ...

spores produced on lamellae with jagged edges. Typically, thick-walled hyphae in the fruit body are in part amyloid, and frequently the taste of the

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

s is acrid (burning, spicy). The widespread genus has been estimated to contain 15 species. Mycologists Ronald Petersen and Karen Hughes considered 24 species in their 2004 world monograph of the genus.

Classification and naming

The name ''Lentinellus'' is the diminutive of ''

Lentinus ''Lentinus'' is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The genus is widely distributed, with many species found in subtropical regions. The genus name ''Lentinus'' is derived from the Latin ''lent'', meaning "pliable", and ''inus'', meani ...

'', which is the generic name for another group of wood-decay fungi with rough

r edges. The

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 specime ...

and the best-known is '' L. cochleatus'', which was classified under ''Lentinus'' by Persoon in 1825. Later it was realized that the species now in ''Lentinellus'' are very different in other characteristics from the other ''Lentinus'' species, and in modern

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

the groups are put into different orders (''Lentinus'' is in

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 withi ...

whereas ''Lentinellus'' is in

Russulales The Russulales are an order (biology), order of the Agaricomycetes, (which include the agaric genera ''Russula'' and ''Lactarius (fungus), Lactarius'' and their polypore, polyporoid and corticioid relatives). According to the ''Dictionary of the ...

). Closely allied genera are ''

Auriscalpium ''Auriscalpium'' is a genus of mushrooms typifying the family Auriscalpiaceae. Etymology ''Auriscalpium'' is a compound of the Latin, ''auris'', "ear"; and ''scalpo'', "I scratch", generally meaning ear pick. The term was originally applied ...

'' and '' Dentipratulum'', with '' Artomyces'' slightly more distantly related. These groups are non-

agaricoid An agaric () is a type of fungus fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. In the UK, agarics are called "mushrooms ...

but, strangely enough, ''Lentinellus'' is more closely related to them than to other

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

ed mushrooms.

Inedibility

All species in the genus are inedible due to their bitter taste.

Species

References

External links

Photo
of ''Lentinellus ursinus''.

of ''Lentinellus'' species.

of ''Lentinellus castoreus''. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2710010 Russulales Russulales genera