Aleurodiscus

Aleurodiscus oakesii, photographed by Dany Vallières.
Belongs within: Homobasidiomycetes.

The Stereaceae is a group of fungi producing usually non-stalked fruiting bodies, often growing on wood. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the genus Aleurodiscus is paraphyletic to other genera in the family (Binder et al. 2005).

Characters (from Cannon & Kirk 2007, for Stereaceae): Basidiomata appressed, effused-reflexed or discoid, rarely stalked, the outer surface often zoned, usually leathery or waxy. Hyphal system dimitic (rarely trimitic), typically differentiated into a hairy or hirsute outer skin, a closely woven cortex, and loose hyphae curving up to the hymenium, hyphae with simple septa, thick-walled cystidia common. Hymenium smooth to tuberculate or rugose. Basidia small and narrow, 4-spored, sometimes accompanied by ornamented paraphysis-like hyphae. Basidiospores ellipsoidal to cylindrical, hyaline, smooth, sometimes staining in iodine.

Aleurodiscus [Stereaceae, Stereales]
    |--+--+--A. amorphus BH05
    |  |  `--A. grantii BH05
    |  `--+--A. penicillatus BH05
    |     `--+--A. weirii BH05
    |        `--Acanthobasidium BH05
    |             |--A. norvegicum BH05
    |             `--A. phragmitis BH05
    `--+--A. oakesii BH05
       `--+--A. mirabilis BH05
          `--+--+--A. abietis BH05
             |  `--‘Gloeocystidiellum’ leucoxanthum BH05
             `--+--+--Acanthophysium lividocaeruleum BH05
                |  `--Xylobolus BH05
                |       |--X. subpileatus BH05
                |       `--+--X. frustulatus BH05
                |          `--X. annosum [=Stereum annosum] BH05
                `--+--A. botryosus BH05
                   `--+--+--A. cerrusatus [=Acanthophysium cerrusatum] BH05
                      |  |--A. lapponicus BH05
                      |  `--A. laurentinus BH05
                      `--+--+--Acanthophysium bisporum BH05
                         |  `--Acanthofungus rimosus BH05
                         `--Stereum BH05
                              |  i. s.: S. lobatum J87
                              |         S. ostrea BH05
                              |         S. subpileatum RS99
                              |         S. subtomentosum BH05
                              |--+--S. armeniacum BH05
                              |  `--S. hirsutum BH05
                              `--+--S. gausapatum BH05
                                 `--S. rugosum BH05

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BH05] Binder, M., D. S. Hibbett, K.-H. Larsson, E. Larsson, E. Langer & G. Langer. 2005. The phylogenetic distribution of resupinate forms across the major clades of mushroom-forming fungi (Homobasidiomycetes). Systematics and Biodiversity 3 (2): 113-157.

Cannon, P. F., & P. M. Kirk. 2007. Fungal Families of the World. CABI.

[J87] Judd, W. S. 1987. Floristic study of Morne La Visite and Pic Macaya National Parks, Haiti. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum – Biological Sciences 32 (1): 1-136.

[RS99] Rossman, A. Y., G. J. Samuels, C. T. Rogerson & R. Lowen. 1999. Genera of Bionectriaceae, Hypocreaceae and Nectriaceae (Hypocreales, Ascomycetes). Studies in Mycology 42: 1-248.