Polyporus

Polyporus is a genus of poroid fungi in the family Polyporaceae.

Taxonomy

Italian botanist Pier Antonio Micheli introduced the genus in 1729 to include 14 species featuring fruit bodies with centrally-placed stipes, and pores on the underside of the cap.^[1] The generic name combines the Ancient Greek words πολύς ("many") and πόρος ("pore").^[2]

Elias Fries divided Polyporus into three subgenera in his 1855 work Novae Symbol Mycologici: Eupolyporus, Fomes, and Poria.^[3] In a 1995 monograph, Maria Núñez and Leif Ryvarden grouped 32 Polyporus species into 6 morphologically-based infrageneric groups: Admirabilis, Dendropolyporus, Favolus, Polyporellus, Melanopus, and Polyporus sensu stricto.^[4]

The identity of the type species of Polyporus has long been a matter of contention among mycologists. Some have preferred P. brumalis,^[5][6] some P. squamosus,^[7] while others have preferred P. tuberaster.^[8][9][10]

Several molecular phylogenetics studies have shown that Polyporus, as currently circumscribed, is polyphyletic and will need to have its generic limits revised.^[11][12][10] Some species such as P. squamosus and P. varius have been moved to genus Cerioporus.^[13][14]

Species

Cerioporus varius (formerly Polyporus)

References