Fungi Classification

Flashcards of Fungi Classification lecture notes.

Fungal Taxonomy

Taxonomy of fungi is subject to change, so classifications may vary across different sources.

Order: Agaricales

An order containing the typical gilled mushrooms.

Family: Amanitaceae

A family within Agaricales, characterized by a universal veil, partial veil, and light-colored spores.

Family: Russulaceae

A family within Agaricales that lacks veils and has light-colored spores; includes Russula and Lactarius.

Russula

Genus within Russulaceae; species have a chalky texture and brittle caps.

Lactarius

Genus within Russulaceae; species secrete latex from the gills when damaged.

Family: Cortinariaceae

A family within Agaricales, defined by a cobwebby partial veil (cortina), rusty colored spores, and a lack of a universal veil.

Cortina

Presence of a cobwebby partial veil called a cortina.

Family: Hygrophoraceae

A family within Agaricales with waxy feeling gills and often having distantly spaced gills, bright colored basidiocarps, and hollow stipes.

Family: Plutaceae

A family within Agaricales that grows on trees and has decurrent gills and short, eccentric stipes.

Order: Boletales

An order of fungi also called pored mushrooms, with a hymenium composed of tubes instead of gills.

Family: Boletaceae

A family within Boletales characterized by dark or bright colors, olive green to bright yellow spore prints, and a lack of veils.

Boletus

A genus within Boletaceae; many species bruise blue when damaged.

Suillus

A genus within Boletaceae also called “slippery jacks” due to viscid caps, light/muted pores, and punctate glands on the stipe.

Order: Aphyllophorales

An order of fungi including shelf fungi, bracket fungi, and polypores; often grow on wood and have tough/woody textures.

Family: Polyporaceae

A family within Aphyllophorales, frequently referred to as shelf fungi or bracket fungi, with a pored hymenium and sessile fruiting bodies.

Family: Hydnaceae

A family within Aphyllophorales called toothed fungi, with a hymenium composed of teeth.

Family: Cantharellaceae

A family within Aphyllophorales; fungi are frequently vase shaped and have decurrent ridges instead of gills.

Family: Clavariaceae

A family within Aphyllophorales containing coral and club fungi, with a smooth hymenium usually at the upper portion of the fruiting body.

Order: Lycoperdales

An outdated order that included puffballs, earthballs, and earthstars, characterized by a round shape, peridium, and dark colored spores.

Ostiole

An exit pore in the peridium

Order: Phallales

An order of fungi containing stinkhorns, with spores produced in a smelly mass called the gleba; encased in a universal veil at immaturity.

Gleba

Spore bearing mass in stinkhorns.

Order: Nidulariales

An order of fungi containing the bird’s nest fungi; spores are packaged into peridioles (the “eggs”) within a nest-like peridium.

Epiphragm

The lid on the immature fruiting body of Nidulariales.

Peridium

The nest of bird's nest fungi.

Peridioles

Packaged spores in Nidulariales.

Order: Auriculariales/Tremellales

Orders including tree ears and jelly fungi; grow on wood and have a gelatinous/rubbery texture.