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Karstenia 45: 75–80, 2005
Genus revisions and new combinations of some
North European polypores
TUOMO NIEMELÄ, JUHA KINNUNEN, KARL-HENRIK LARSSON, DMITRY S. SCHIGEL
and ELLEN LARSSON
Niemelä, T., Kinnunen, J., Larsson, K.H., Schigel, D.S. & Larsson, E. 2005: Genus revi-
sions and new combinations of some North European polypores. – Karstenia 45: 75–80.
ISSN 0453-3402.
Two new genera of polypores (Basidiomycota) are described, Erastia Niemelä & Kin-
nunen, and Rhodonia Niemelä & K.H. Larsson. The following new combinations are
presented: Antrodiella canadensis (Overh.) Niemelä, Erastia salmonicolor (Berk.
& M.A. Curtis) Niemelä & Kinnunen, Oligoporus balsaminus (Niemelä & Y.C. Dai)
Niemelä, Oligoporus immitis (Peck) Niemelä, Oligoporus persicinus (Niemelä & Y.C.
Dai) Niemelä, Porodaedalea laricis (Jacz. ex Pilát) Niemelä, and Rhodonia placenta
(Fr.) Niemelä, K.H. Larsson & Schigel. Porodaedalea niemelaei M. Fischer is consid-
ered to be synonymous with P. laricis, and Sarcoporia polyspora P. Karst. was found
to be an older name for the species commonly known as Parmastomyces transmutans
(Overh.) Ryvarden & Gilb. or P. mollissimus (Maire) Pouzar.
Key words: Basidiomycota, Antrodiella, Erastia, Parmastomyces, Phellinus, Porodae-
dalea, Rhodonia, Sarcoporia, polypore, taxonomy
Tuomo Niemelä, Juha Kinnunen and Dmitry S. Schigel, Botanical Museum, Finnish Mu-
seum of Natural History, P.O. Box 7, FI–00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
Karl-Henrik Larsson and Ellen Larsson, Botanical Institute, Göteborg University, P.O.
Box 461, SE–40530 Göteborg, Sweden
Introduction
In this paper two genera are described and new
combinations are made in order to make these
names available for a forthcoming book on Finn-
ish polypores (Niemelä 2005).
Materials and methods
The authors’ names of this paper are abbreviated as TN,
JK, KHL, DSS and EL, respectively.
Some of the results derive from our literature and her-
barium studies, but a considerable part has accumulated
during the preparation of a phylogenetic analysis of the
generic complex Postia/Oligoporus. In that study KHL
and EL sequenced and analyzed a large set of species and
specimens mostly provided by TN, JK and DSS. That ex-
tensive phylogenetic revision will be fully presented and
discussed in another, forthcoming paper.
Taxonomy
Antrodiella canadensis (Overh.) Niemelä,
comb. nova
[Polyporus canadensis Overh., Mycologia 33:97,
1941, nomen inval.]
Basionym: Polyporus canadensis Overh.
in Lowe, Mycotaxon 2:45, 1975. – Holotype:
‘Polyporus canadensis sp. nov., Ottawa, Dow’s
Swamp, on spruce stump, 16.IX.1933 J.W.
Groves 16860’ (PAC, studied).
There has been some controversy on the va-
lidity of the description of this species. Ryvarden
and Gilbertson (1984) considered that in the ar-
ticle in Mycotaxon 2:44–45 Lowe described the
species twice in different genera (Polyporus, Ty-
romyces), which would be against the Code, and
76 KARSTENIA 45 (2005)
NIEMELÄ ET AL.: REVISIONS OF POLYPORES
hence a nomen novum Antrodiella overholtsii
Ryvarden & Gilb. was created. Niemelä (1985)
accepted the publication of Polyporus canaden-
sis as valid and legitimate, because Overholts
was explicitly given as its author and Overholts’
description was separated into a footnote apart
from Lowe’s running text.
After reconsidering the case TN came to the
conclusion that the validating description in Lowe
(1975) is an authentic, posthumously printed text
by Overholts with original wording, and should
be accepted as such. This accords with the inter-
pretation in Index of Fungi 5(9): 360, 1985 (“L.
O. Overholts apud Lowe”). A discussion on this
matter with Dr. Teuvo Ahti (Helsinki) is grate-
fully acknowledged.
Niemelä (1985) kept this species in the het-
erogeneous genus Tyromyces. Johannesson et
al. (2000) compared it and several Antrodiella
species with ribosomal DNA sequences, and
showed that they make a natural, monophyletic
clade, thus supporting the idea of Ryvarden and
Gilbertson (1984) that this is a member of Antro-
diella. Hence the new combination is made here;
TN thanks P. Renvall (Kuopio, Finland), the sec-
ond author of the Johannesson et al. (2000) pa-
per, for discussions concerning Antrodiella and
this species.
Erastia Niemelä & Kinnunen, genus novum
Carpophorus annuus, effusus, poroideus, succu-
lentus, salmonicolor. Systema hypharum mono-
miticum, hyphae tenuitunicatae, fi bulatae. Spo-
rae ellipsoideae.
Type: Polyporus salmonicolor Berk. & M.A.
Curtis.
Etymology: Dedicated to Prof. Erast Parmasto
(Tartu, Estonia), the eminent researcher of fungal
taxonomy and cladistics.
Basidiocarp annual, effused, poroid, soft juicy,
pale salmon coloured, when dry discoloured but
not turning dark purple-red in bruised parts or
elsewhere. KOH reaction almost nil at pore sur-
face, or light cherry red in ochraceous-coloured
mycelium of basidiocarp margins and subiculum.
Hyphal system monomitic, hyphae thin-walled,
with clamp connections, weakly amyloid in tube
trama, acyanophilous. Brown oily matter abun-
dant in between the hyphae. Spores thin-walled,
ellipsoid, negative in both Melzer’s reagent and
Cotton Blue, ca. 4–5.7 × 2.5–2.9 µm in type spe-
cies, with one prominent oil-guttule.
Erastia salmonicolor (Berk. & M.A. Curtis)
Niemelä & Kinnunen, comb. nova
Basionym: Polyporus salmonicolor Berk. &
M.A. Curtis, Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc.
1:104, 1849. Type: ‘Pol. salmonicolor Berk. &
Curt. 1527, [U.S.A., South Carolina, Berkely
Co.,] Santee River, H.W. Ravenel’ (K, studied by
Ryvarden 1977).
This species was illustrated in colour in Bern-
icchia (2005:665, at least the upper photograph),
and it and Hapalopilus aurantiacus will be il-
lustrated by Niemelä (2005). These two species,
and H. ochraceolateritius Bondartsev, have been
misunderstood in most modern papers. Pouzar
(1967) analysed the protologues of aurantiacus
and salmonicolor and concluded that they cannot
mean the same species. Donk (1967) discussed
the identities and typifi cations of these names,
without giving any clear answer.
In our opinion Hapalopilus aurantiacus, H.
ochraceolateritius and Erastia salmonicolor are
three well-defi ned species. The best differentiat-
ing characters are listed in Table 1. At least in
North Europe the fi rst one is the commonest, the
others extremely rare. They all grow on conifer-
ous trees.
Ko et al. (2001) studied phylogenetic re-
lationships among the Hapalopilus complex.
They found that ‘Hapalopilus’ salmonicolor is in
fact alien to the genus, while H. rutilans and H.
croceus are closely related. They proposed sal-
monicolor to be included in the genus Sarcopo-
ria, as was already done by Teixeira (1986). Be-
low we will show that this is unacceptable, and
hence the new genus Erastia was described.
Hapalopilus ochraceolateritius was fi rst de-
scribed by Karsten (1887) as Physisporus auran-
tiacus var. saloisensis P. Karst. That name was
never validly transferred to species rank, and
Bondartsev (1940) eventually described it as a
species. Domański (1965) was one of the few
who adopted Bondartsev’s idea and clearly knew
the species.
77
KARSTENIA 45 (2005) NIEMELÄ ET AL.: REVISIONS OF POLYPORES
Sarcoporia polyspora P. Karst.
Another misinterpretation was found while
studying Karsten’s type materials addressed to
the Hapalopilus / Erastia complex. Lowe (1956)
considered the type of Sarcoporia polyspora P.
Karst. to be conspecifi c with Physisporus au-
rantiacus var. saloisensis P. Karst., i.e. what is
here called Hapalopilus ochraceolateritius. That
view has been followed ever since. The holotype
of Sarcoporia polyspora is deposited in Herb. H
(Helsinki); although small and blackened, the
specimen is good for microscopy. Hyphal struc-
ture is monomitic, with clamps and plenty of
oily droplets in between the hyphae. The speci-
men is abundantly fertile (polyspora!), spores
being slightly thick-walled, ellipsoid with obtuse
ends, dextrinoid and very strongly cyanophilous,
(4.5–)4.6–6.1(–6.5) × (2.6–)2.7–3.3(–3.4) µm,
L=5.34 µm, W=2.99 µm, Q=1.79 (n=30/1). It is
certainly the same species as what is nowadays
known as Parmastomyces transmutans (Overh.)
Ryvarden & Gilb. (holotype Overholts 22971,
PAC, studied) or P. mollissimus (Maire) Pouzar,
and much older than these two names. As this is
the type of both the genus and the species, the
widely used epithets under Parmastomyces must
be abandoned. The genus name Sarcoporia fi ts
very well for the species, because the basidio-
carp attains fl esh-reddish tints in the course of its
growth and if bruised. The specimens are always
very rich in spores.
Oligoporus balsaminus (Niemelä & Y.C. Dai)
Niemelä, comb. nova
Basionym: Postia balsamina Niemelä & Y.C.
Dai, Karstenia 44:68, 2004. Holotype: Finland,
Kittilän Lappi, Kolari, Picea abies, 31.VIII.1999
Niemelä 6601 & Dai (H).
Phylogenetic analysis carried out by KHL
and EL from Finnish materials of the Postia/
Oligoporus complex and related genera revealed
the heterogeneous nature of this group. Prelimi-
nary results show that thick-spored species make
up a clade around Oligoporus rennyi (Berk. &
Broome) Donk, type of Oligoporus. Most of the
narrow-spored species are closely related to Pos-
Table 1. Comparison of Erastia salmonicolor, Hapalopilus aurantiacus and H. ochraceolateritius.
Character E. salmonicolor H. aurantiacus H. ochraceolateritius
Pores per mm 1–2 (1–)2–3 (3–)4–6
Fresh colour salmon or pinkish orange-yellow or brick or terracotta
ochraceous
Dry colour dirty pale brownish dark ochraceous, or dark brick, or black with
purple reddish blood-red tint
Bruised parts (dry) almost unchanged reddish black reddish black
KOH almost unchanged, or dark blood red dark blood red
light cherry red in
subiculum and margin
Spore shape ellipsoid thick cylindric narrow cylindric
Spore size (average) 4–4.7 × 2.5–2.9 µm 4.9–6 × 2.2–2.6 µm 4.3–5.2 × 1.8–2.1 µm
L=4.3 µm, W=2.7 µm, L=5.4 µm, W=2.4 µm, L=4.7 µm, W=2.0 µm,
Q=1.6 Q=2.2 Q=2.4
Host in N Europe pine pine or spruce pine or spruce
78 KARSTENIA 45 (2005)
NIEMELÄ ET AL.: REVISIONS OF POLYPORES
tia lactea (Fr.) P. Karst., type of the genus Postia.
For this reason this combination was made, as
well as the two below.
Oligoporus balsaminus is a northerly species,
growing on spruce in old-growth forests. In the
microscope it resembles O. balsameus (Peck)
Gilb. & Ryvarden, but spores of O. balsaminus
are slightly larger, basidiocarps are predomi-
nantly effused, with larger pores and gelatinous
subiculum. During drying the specimens of O.
balsaminus shrink and become brittle, while O.
balsameus becomes hard or chalky and keeps its
shape fairly well.
Oligoporus immitis (Peck) Niemelä,
comb. nova
Basionym: Polyporus immitis Peck, New York
State Mus. Nat. Hist. 35:135, 1884.
While studying O. stipticus (Pers. : Fr.) Gilb.
& Ryvarden and O. guttulatus (Peck) Gilb. &
Ryvarden, still another species was detected in
this group of fungi. The main differences are
shown in Table 2. According to the proposal of
W. Spirin (St.Petersburg, Russia), this name was
accepted for the taxon; usually it is listed as one
of the many synonyms of O. stipticus. Another
possible name would be Tyromyces tiliophilus
Murrill (Murrill 1907, cf. Ryvarden 1985:196),
and further studies are needed to solve the tax-
onomy and nomenclature of this taxon.
Oligoporus persicinus (Niemelä & Y.C. Dai)
Niemelä, comb. nova
Basionym: Postia persicina Niemelä & Y.C. Dai,
Karstenia 44:74, 2004. Holotype: Finland, Kit-
tilän Lappi, Kolari, Picea abies, 17.VIII.1999
Niemelä 6453 & Dai (H).
Porodaedalea laricis (Jacz. ex Pilát) Niemelä,
comb. nova
[Xanthochrous pini (Brot.) Pat. subsp. abietis
(P. Karst.) Bourdot & Galzin var. laricis Jacz.
ex Pilát, Bull. Trimestriel Soc. Mycol. France
48:28, 1933 (‘1932’), nomen nudum.]
Table 2. Comparison of Oligoporus stipticus, O. guttulatus and O. immitis.
Character O. stipticus O. guttulatus O. immitis
Pores per mm 4–5(–6) 5–6(–7) 4–5
Upper surface fresh/dry white/citric yellow cream + tan zones/ white/white with tan
ochraceous yellow fl ecks
Pore surface fresh/dry white/citric yellow greenish white/yellowish or white/dark brownish
greyish cream cream
Dry context & tubes hard soft chalky soft chalky
Taste bitter, peppery sour sour
Context hyphae both the straight straight ‘conductive’ hyphae straight ‘conductive’ hyphae
‘conductive’, and thick-walled, interwoven and thick-walled, interwoven
interwoven narrow narrow hyphae thin-walled and narrow hyphae thin-
hyphae thick-walled walled
Spores (average) 4–5.1 × 1.9–2.4 µm, 3.5–4.9 × 2.2–2.6 µm, 3.9–4.5 × 1.9–2.1 µm,
L=4.5 µm, W=2.1 µm, L=4.1 µm, W=2.4 µm, L=4.1 µm, W=2.0 µm,
Q=2.0–2.2 Q=1.7–1.8 Q=2.1
Host in N Europe coniferous trees coniferous trees deciduous trees (Betula,
(mostly Picea) (mostly Picea) Quercus, Juglans etc.)
79
KARSTENIA 45 (2005) NIEMELÄ ET AL.: REVISIONS OF POLYPORES
Basionym: Xanthochrous pini (Brot.) Pat.
f. laricis Jacz. ex Pilát, Bull. Trimestriel Soc.
Mycol. France 49:272, 1934 (‘1933’). Holotype
(the only specimen listed): “Ad truncos Laricis
sibiricae in Sibiria, districtus Tara, 1.IX.1928,
leg. Murashkinsky” (not studied).
Phellinus laricis (Jacz. ex Pilát) Pilát, Bull.
Trimestriel Soc. Mycol. France 88:346, 1972.
Pilát described f. laricis from material for-
warded to him by A.A. Jaczewski, but the latter
clearly was not a coauthor (“Jaczewski pro spec.
in litt.”). So it is appropriate to address the taxon
to Jacz. ex Pilát, or just Pilát. The description is
valid, even though the name is not listed in re-
cent indexes of fungal names. Dai (2005) seems
to be the only modern author who interpreted it
correctly.
While making the new combination Phellinus
laricis, Pilát (1972) addressed the description of
f. laricis to page 273, while the correct page is
272. This is a technical error and does not make
the combination invalid; in fact the description of
the new form (Pilát 1934) still continues on that
page. Donk (1974:329) did not present any res-
ervations on its validity. In the same paper Pilát
(1972) indicates a more recent collection from
Mongolia (PRM 712454) as ‘neotypus’, without
explaining the reason. The wording implies that
the original material was lost, but that was not
checked for this paper.
Phellinus laricis is clearly a member of the
‘Phellinus pini complex’. Molecular studies
(Fischer 1996, Wagner & Fischer 2001, 2002)
have shown that the old genus Phellinus is too
heterogeneous to be kept undivided, and Poro-
daedalea is the name for the more natural genus.
This species was recently described as Porodae-
dalea niemelaei M. Fischer from material collect-
ed on Larix sibirica in Finland (Fischer 2000).
Larch is not indigenous to the country, and it is
clear that the strictly host-specifi c fungus origi-
nates from the range of Larix sibirica, i.e. north-
eastern parts of European Russia and Siberia. In
fact P. laricis is common from the Veps forest
(eastern Leningrad Region; the westernmost nat-
ural site of Larix sibirica) up to China (Y.C. Dai,
H. Kotiranta and others, pers. comm.).
Rhodonia Niemelä & K.H. Larsson, genus
novum
Carpophorus annuus, effusus, poroideus, mol-
lis, roseicolor vel niveus. Systema hypharum
monomiticum, hyphae fi bulatae, primo tenuitu-
nicatae, in statu maturo crassitunicatae. Sporae
cylindricae.
Type: Polyporus placenta Fr.
Etymology: Rhodonia (fem.), from rhodon,
Greek name of rose, referring to the pale pink
colour reminiscent of that in wild roses.
Basidiocarp annual, effused, poroid, fairly
thick, juicy and soft, pale rose-coloured or white.
Hyphal system monomitic, hyphae with clamp
connections, at fi rst thin-walled but in mature ba-
sidiocarp thick-walled. Spores cylindric. Caus-
ing a brown rot on coniferous trees.
Rhodonia placenta (Fr.) Niemelä, K.H. Larsson
& Schigel, comb. nova
Basionym: Polyporus placenta Fr., Öfvers.
Kungl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh.: 30, 1861.
The strongest evidence for separating R. pla-
centa from Oligoporus and Postia comes from
molecular analysis, where this becomes invaria-
bly nested far off from those genera, in a separate
clade near Antrodia (our results). This will be il-
lustrated and discussed thoroughly in a forthcom-
ing paper. Young basidiocarps have consistently
thin-walled hyphae, but when they grow older,
some hyphae become thick-walled, and then the
structure looks like dimitic. Most hyphae of fully
grown basidiocarps are thick-walled to subsolid.
This species has been well described in many
papers, e.g. Ryvarden and Gilbertson (1994) and
Bernicchia (2005). The gradual thickening of hy-
phal walls has been mostly neglected, however.
A good hint for identifi cation is seen in Cotton
Blue / lactic acid mounts: small greasy droplets
are dispersed in the mountant, and in 1–2 min-
utes they become fragmented and ‘explode’ into
snowfl ake-like groups. Such fenomenon is not
seen in Antrodia infi rma or other similar-looking
species.
It is not yet known which other species are
related. Both externally and in the microscope
Antrodia infi rma Renvall & Niemelä is very
similar, but this relationship needs to be studied
more closely. A possible candidate would also
be Oligoporus mappa (Overh. & J. Lowe) Gilb.
80 KARSTENIA 45 (2005)
NIEMELÄ ET AL.: REVISIONS OF POLYPORES
& Ryvarden. – The species names placenta and
mappa are nouns, and stay uninfl ected irrespec-
tive of the gender of the genus.
Acknowledgements: Reima Saarenoksa (Helsinki)
and Wjacheslav Spirin (St. Petersburg) are thanked for
notes and collections of Oligoporus immitis. Pertti Ren-
vall (Kuopio) shed light in the phylogeny of Antrodiella
canadensis. The identities and distributions of O. bal-
saminus and O. persicinus were discussed with Heikki
Kotiranta (Helsinki). Teuvo Ahti (Helsinki) helped in
fi nding names for the new genera; he also revised the
Latin descriptions and helped TN in deciding the valid-
ity of the name Polyporus canadensis. The Ministry of
Environment is thanked for a generous research grant
(YM175/5512/2004), which enabled TN and DSS to
carry out studies in mycology.
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