''Stereum'' is 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 the

Stereaceae The Stereaceae are a family of corticioid fungi in the Russulales order. Species in the family have a widespread distribution, are lignicolous or terrestrial (in leaf litter), and typically saprobic. According to the ''Dictionary of the Fungi'', ...

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

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 ...

order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the

Corticiaceae The Corticiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Corticiales. The family formerly included almost all the corticioid (patch- or crust-forming) fungi, whether they were related or not, and as such was highly artificial. In its current sense, ...

family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the split-up of the Corticiales.

Common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s for species of this genus include leaf fungus, wax fungus, and shelf fungus. Fungi having a shape similar to a ''Stereum'' are said to have a stereoid shape. ''Stereum'' contains 27 species that have a widespread distribution.

Habitat

''Stereum'' species are found to live on all kinds of deadwood or hardwood or dead leaves (they are therefore said to be

saprobic Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ( ...

). Sometimes they are also found on living leaves.

Characteristics

''Stereum'' species are wood decay fungi. Their simple, shelving fruiting bodies have a smooth

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 ...

, lacking gills or tubes. Like most members or the family Stereaceae, ''Stereum'' fruiting bodies lack

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 and produce

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, ...

basidiospore 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 ...

s. The species can be divided into two groups: the bleeders (those that exude a red liquid from cut surfaces, similarly to ''

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 ...

'' species) and the non-bleeders (those that do not). In 1959, Zdenek Pouzar created a distinct genus, '' Haematostereum'', for the bleeding species of ''Stereum'', including '' H. gausapatum'', '' H. rugosum'', and '' H. sanguinolentum''. Modern authors do not consider ''Haematostereum'' to be a distinct genus, so it is currently treated as 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 ''Stereum''.

Species

False turkey-tail - Stereum hirsutum - 02

There are numerous species in this genus (and family), the most common one being ''

Stereum hirsutum ''Stereum hirsutum'', also called false turkey tail and hairy curtain crust, is a fungus typically forming multiple brackets on dead wood. It is also a plant pathogen infecting peach trees. ''S. hirsutum'' is in turn parasitised by certain other ...

''. *'' Stereum acanthophysatum'' *''

Stereum adnatum ''Stereum'' is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the spl ...

'' *''

Stereum albostipitatum ''Stereum'' is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the spl ...

'' *''

Stereum alternum ''Stereum'' is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the spl ...

'' *'' Stereum antarcticum'' *'' Stereum aotearoa'' *'' Stereum aratum'' *''

Stereum armeniacum ''Stereum'' is the type genus of the Stereaceae family (biology), family of fungi, in the Russulales order (biology), order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its ...

'' *'' Stereum auriscalpium'' *'' Stereum aurora'' *'' Stereum avellanaceum'' *'' Stereum azonum'' *'' Stereum bagliettoanum'' *'' Stereum beigehymenium'' *'' Stereum bellum'' *'' Stereum bombycinum'' *'' Stereum boninense'' *'' Stereum braunii'' *'' Stereum burtiasmum'' *'' Stereum burtissimum'' *''

Stereum campaniforme ''Stereum'' is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the spl ...

'' *'' Stereum carthusianum'' *'' Stereum complicatum'' *''

Stereum cupulatum ''Stereum'' is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the spl ...

'' *''

Stereum durum ''Stereum'' is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the spl ...

'' *'' Stereum earlei'' *'' Stereum elongatum'' *'' Stereum fasciatum'' *''

Stereum gausapatum ''Stereum'' is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the spl ...

'' *''

'' *'' Stereum illudens'' *'' Stereum insignitum''—may be considered a synonym of '' Stereum subtomentosum'' *''

Stereum ostrea ''Stereum ostrea'', also called false turkey-tail and golden curtain crust, is a basidiomycete fungus in the genus '' Stereum''. It is a plant pathogen and a wood decay fungus. The name ''ostrea'', from the word 'oyster', describes its shape. ...

'' -- False turkey tail. Sometimes considered a variety of *''

''. *''

Stereum papyrinum ''Stereum'' is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the spl ...

''—Preferred name: '' Lopharia papyrina''See the entries i
Index Fungorum
for the current names and synonyms. *'' Stereum purpureum'' -- Silver leaf fungus. Preferred name: ''

Chondrostereum purpureum Silver leaf is a fungal disease of trees caused by the fungus plant pathogen ''Chondrostereum purpureum''. It attacks most species of the rose family Rosaceae, particularly the genus ''Prunus''. The disease is progressive and often fatal. The comm ...

'' *'' Stereum rugosum'' *'' Stereum sanguinolentum'' *'' Stereum subtomentosum'' *'' Stereum taxodii''—Preferred name: ''

Laurilia taxodii ''Laurilia'' is a monotypic genus of crust fungi in the family Echinodontiaceae. The genus was described in 1959 by Czech mycologist Zdeněk Pouzar, with '' Laurilia sulcata'' (originally '' Stereum sulcatum'') as the type and only species. Pouz ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q556723 Fungal tree pathogens and diseases Russulales genera Stereaceae