The Russulales are an

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

of the

Agaricomycetes The Agaricomycetes are a class of fungi in the division Basidiomycota. The taxon is roughly identical to that defined for the Homobasidiomycetes (alternatively called holobasidiomycetes) by Hibbett & Thorn, with the inclusion of Auriculariales a ...

, (which include the

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 "mushrooms ...

genera ''

Russula ''Russula'' is a very large genus composed of around 750 worldwide species of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. They are typically common, fairly large, and brightly colored – making them one of the most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushr ...

'' and ''

Lactarius ''Lactarius'' is a genus of mushroom-producing, ectomycorrhizal fungi, containing several edible species. The species of the genus, commonly known as milk-caps, are characterized by the milky fluid ("latex") they exude when cut or damaged. Like ...

'' and their polyporoid and corticioid relatives). According to the ''Dictionary of the Fungi'' (10th edition, 2008), the order consists of 12

families 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. Ideall ...

, 80

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 1767

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. According to ''Species Fungorum'' (January 2016), the order contains 13 families, 117 genera (16 not assigned to a family), and 3,060 species. Russuloid agarics represent an independent evolutionary line of agarics, not directly related to the

Agaricales The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms (for their distinctive gills) or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13,000 described species, alo ...

. This group also includes a number of russuloid

hypogeous Hypogeal, hypogean, hypogeic and hypogeous (; ) are biological terms describing an organism's activity below the soil surface. In botany, a seed is described as showing hypogeal germination when the cotyledons of the germinating seed remain no ...

fungi,

polypores Polypores are a group of fungi that form large fruiting bodies with pores or tubes on the underside (see Delimitation for exceptions). They are a morphological group of basidiomycetes-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi, and not all polypor ...

such as ''

Bondarzewia ''Bondarzewia'' is a widely distributed genus of fungi in the family Bondarzewiaceae. The genus was circumscribed by mycologist Rolf Singer Rolf Singer (June 23, 1906 – January 18, 1994) was a German-born mycologist and one of the most im ...

'', some

tooth fungi The hydnoid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota with basidiocarps (fruit bodies) producing spores on pendant, tooth-like or spine-like projections. They are colloquially called tooth fungi. Originally such fungi were referred to the g ...

(e.g. ''

Auriscalpium vulgare ''Auriscalpium vulgare'', commonly known as the pinecone mushroom, the cone tooth, or the ear-pick fungus, is a species of fungus in the family Auriscalpiaceae of the order Russulales. It was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, who incl ...

''), and

club fungi The clavarioid fungi are a group of fungi in the ''Basidiomycota'' typically having erect, simple or branched basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that are formed on the ground, on decaying vegetation, or on dead wood. They are colloquially called club fun ...

e.g. ''

Artomyces ''Artomyces'' is a genus of coral fungi in the family Auriscalpiaceae. It was circumscribed by Walter Jülich in 1982, who set '' Artomyces pyxidatus'' (formerly ''Clavaria pyxidata'' Pers. 1794) as the type species. Species *'' Artomyces adri ...

''.

Basidiospores A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi, a grouping that includes mushrooms, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are pro ...

in this group are typically ornamented with

amyloid Amyloids are aggregates of proteins characterised by a Fibril, fibrillar morphology of 7–13 Nanometer, nm in diameter, a beta sheet (β-sheet) Secondary structure of proteins, secondary structure (known as cross-β) and ability to be Staining, ...

warts or reticulation but a few exceptions are known, e.g. ''

Heterobasidion annosum ''Heterobasidion annosum'' is a basidiomycete fungus in the family Bondarzewiaceae. It is considered to be the most economically important forest pathogen in the Northern Hemisphere. ''Heterobasidion annosum'' is widespread in forests in the Unit ...

''. The genus ''

Clavicorona ''Clavicorona'' is a fungal genus in the family Auriscalpiaceae. The genus was first described by Maxwell Stanford Doty in 1947, who included the species ''C. pyxidata'', ''C. cristata'', ''C. taxophila'', and ''C. candelabrum''. ...

'' was often treated in the Russulales, but 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 ...

, '' C. taxophila'', is in the

. The remaining species are retained in the Russulales in the genus ''

''.

Genera ''Incertae sedis''

There are several genera classified in the Russulales that are i) poorly known, ii) have not been subjected to DNA analysis, or iii) if analysed phylogenetically do not group with as yet named or identified families, and have not been assigned to a specific family (i.e., ''

Incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' with respect to familial placement). These include: *'' Aleurocystidiellum'' *'' Dentipellopsis'' *'' Gloeoasterostroma'' *'' Gloeohypochnicium'' *''

Gloeopeniophorella ''Gloeopeniophorella'' is a genus of crust-like, wood-decaying fungi in the family Russulaceae. It contains six known species. ''Gloeopeniophorella'' was first described by Brazilian mycologist Johannes Rick Johannes (João Evangelista) Rick (1 ...

'' *'' Haloaleurodiscus'' *'' Neoalbatrellus'' *'' Polypus'' *'' Scopulodontia'' *'' Scytinostromella'' *'' Xeroceps''

References

External links

Russulales News

{{Taxonbar, from=Q219143 Basidiomycota orders