Breakdown of number of fungal species

[Chris Yeates]

I have no problems with FRDBI having duplicates. It is assumed that a researcher can process these raw data. It’s what I did when I worked on the Yorkshire Rusts paper (I also highlighted clear mistakes and probable ones in the data, based on my knowledge of the group).

If you put a name into FRDBI or http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=161267” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=161267 you will see that these databases give you Genus and Species (obviously) and also Family, Order, Subclass, Subphylum, Phylum, Class and Kingdom.

By looking at http://www.fieldmycology.net/GBCHKLST/gbchklst.asp” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.fieldmycology.net/GBCHKLST/gbchklst.asp you can work through these taxa down to species.

One problem with fungi is that morphology doesn’t always reflect the taxonomy. While there can be a wide morphological variation among an insect order – I’m thinking particularly of Coleoptera and Diptera – it is nothing like what one can encounter amongst the fungi. So a term like “toadstool” can be useful for the beginner, but further down the line can be seen to be less so. For example a typical bolete would probably be classed as a “toadstool”. It belongs in the Order Boletales, which also includes genera like Paxillus and Hygrophoropsis, gilled fungi which would definitely be called “toadstools”. But also included in that order is Scleroderma (an earthball); Melanogaster and Rhizopogon (hypogeous truffle-like fungi); and Serpula a genus of resupinate fungi including the one responsible for dry rot!

Chris

[Author]

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