The Meruliaceae are a

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

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

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 ...

. According to a 2008 estimate, the family contains 47

genera 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 nomenclat ...

and 420 species. ,

Index Fungorum ''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names ( scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. the project is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of three partners along with Landcare Research and the Institute of M ...

accepts 645 species in the family.

Taxonomy

The family was formally

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

by English mycologist

Carleton Rea Carleton Rea (7 May 1861 – 26 June 1946) was an English mycologist, botanist, and naturalist. Background and education Carleton Rea was born in Worcester, the son of the City Coroner. He was educated at The King's School and Magdalen Colle ...

in 1922, with ''

Merulius ''Merulius'' is a genus of poroid fungi in the family Meruliaceae. , Index Fungorum ''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names (scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. the project is based at the Royal Botani ...

'' 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 ...

. He also included the genera ''

Phlebia ''Phlebia'' is a genus of mostly crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution. ''Phlebia'' species cause white rot. Taxonomy ''Phlebia'' was circumscribed by Swedish mycologist Elias Fries in his 1821 work '' ...

'', '' Coniophora'' (now placed in the Coniophoraceae), and ''Coniophorella'' (now considered a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

of ''Coniophora''). His description of the Meruliaceae was as follows: "Hymenium spread over veins, anastomosing pores, or quite smooth; ''edge of veins or pores fertile.''" Several genera formerly classified in the Meruliaceae were moved to the family Steccherinaceae based on

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.

Description

Meruliaceae species are crust-like or polyporoid, and often have a waxy appearance when dry. Their

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 ...

l systems are monomitic (containing only tightly arranged generative hyphae), and these hyphae have

clamp connection A clamp connection is a hook-like structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is a characteristic feature of Basidiomycetes fungi. It is created to ensure that each cell, or segment of hypha separated by septa (cross walls), rece ...

s. The

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

are smooth, thin-walled, and

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none. Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is ...

(translucent).

Cystidia A cystidium (plural cystidia) is a relatively large cell found on the sporocarp of a basidiomycete (for example, on the surface of a mushroom gill), often between clusters of basidia. Since cystidia have highly varied and distinct shapes that ar ...

are often present in 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 ...

. Although rare, some species have a dimitic hyphal system (with both generative and skeletal hyphae). Meruliaceae fungi cause

white rot 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 ...

Genera

*'' Abortiporus'' Murrill (1904) – 3 species *'' Amaurohydnum'' Jülich (1978) – 1 species *'' Amauromyces'' Jülich (1978) – 1 species *'' Aquascypha'' D.A.Reid (1965) – 1 species *'' Aurantiopileus'' Ginns, D.L.Lindner & T.J.Baroni (2010) *'' Aurantiporus'' Murrill (1905) – 5 species *'' Bjerkandera'' P.Karst. (1879) – 7 species *'' Bulbillomyces'' Jülich (1974) – 1 species *'' Cerocorticium'' Henn. (1900) – 7 species *'' Chrysoderma'' Boidin & Gilles (1991) – 1 species *''

Climacodon ''Climacodon'' is a widespread genus of tooth fungi in the family Phanerochaetaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed by Finnish mycologist Petter Karsten in 1881 with ''Climacodon septentrionalis'' as the type species. This fungus was orig ...

'' P.Karst. (1881) – 7 species *'' Columnodontia'' Jülich (1979) – 1 species *'' Conohypha'' Jülich (1975) – 2 species *'' Coralloderma'' D.A.Reid (1965) – 3 species *'' Crustoderma'' Parmasto (1968) – 18 species *'' Crustodontia'' Hjortstam & Ryvarden (2005) – 1 species *'' Cyanodontia'' Hjortstam (1987) – 1 species *'' Cymatoderma'' Jungh. (1840) – 1 species *'' Diacanthodes'' Singer (1945) – 3 species *'' Elaphroporia'' Z.Q.Wu & C.L.Zhao (2018) – 1 species *'' Gyrophanopsis'' Jülich (1979) – 2 species *'' Hydnophlebia'' Parmasto (1967)– 2 species *''

Hyphoderma ''Hyphoderma'' is a genus of crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. It was circumscribed by German botanist Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Wallroth in 1833. Species , Index Fungorum ''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal ...

'' Wallr. (1833) – 104 species *'' Hyphodontiastra'' Hjortstam (1999) – 1 species *'' Hypochnicium'' J.Erikss. (1958) – 35 species *'' Lilaceophlebia'' (Parmasto) Spirin & Zmitr. (2004) – 3 species *'' Luteoporia'' F.Wu, Jia J.Chen & S.H.He (2016) – 1 species *''

'' Fr. (1821) – 2 species *''

Mycoacia ''Mycoacia'' is a genus of toothed crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. It was circumscribed by Dutch mycologist Marinus Anton Donk in 1931. Species , Index Fungorum ''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal name ...

'' Donk (1931) – 17 species *''

Mycoaciella ''Mycoaciella'' is a genus of corticioid fungi in the family Meruliaceae. The genus was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed by John Eriksson and Leif Ryvarden in 1978. After Microscopic scale, microscopic examination of the three species th ...

'' J.Erikss. & Ryvarden (1978) – 5 species *'' Mycoleptodonoides'' Nikol. (1952) – 6 species *'' Niemelaea'' Zmitr., Ezhov & Khimich (2015) – 3 species *'' Odoria'' V.Papp & Dima (2018) – 1 species *''

'' Fr. (1821) – 89 species *'' Phlebiporia'' Jia J.Chen, B.K.Cui & Y.C.Dai (2014) – 1 species *'' Pirex'' Hjortstam & Ryvarden (1985) – 1 species *'' Podoscypha'' Pat. (1900) – 39 species *''

Radulodon ''Radulodon'' is a genus of hydnoid fungus, toothed crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. The genus was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed in 1972 by Norwegian mycologist Leif Ryvarden, with ''Radulodon americanus, R. americanus'' as ...

'' Ryvarden (1972) – 11 species *''

Sarcodontia ''Sarcodontia'' is a genus of hydnoid fungi, toothed fungi in the family Meruliaceae. It was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed by Hungarian–Croatian mycologist Stephan Schulzer von Müggenburg in 1866, with ''Sarcodontia mali'' as the t ...

'' Schulzer (1866) – 6 species *'' Scopuloides'' (Massee) Höhn. & Litsch. (1908) – 5 species *'' Stegiacantha'' Maas Geest. (1966) – 1 species *'' Uncobasidium'' Hjortstam & Ryvarden (1978) – 2 species

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2502557 Meruliaceae Taxa described in 1922