Sporotrichum Link

Miettinen, Otto, Spirin, Viacheslav, Vlasak, Josef, Rivoire, Bernard, Stenroos, Soili & Hibbett, David S., 2016, Polypores and genus concepts in Phanerochaetaceae (Polyporales, Basidiomycota), MycoKeys 17, pp. 1-46 : 24

Sporotrichum Link

Sporotrichum Magazin der Gesellschaft Naturforschenden Freunde Berlin 3(1): 12 (1809).

Type species.

Sporotrichum aureum Link (= Riopa metamorphosa (Fuckel) Miettinen & Spirin)

Remarks.

Hughes (1958) lectotypified the genus with Sporotrichum aureum . The original description of Sporotrichum aureum does not permit accurate identification of the fungus in question, and no type seems to exist ( Stalpers 1984). Fries (1932) considered Sporotrichum aureum a synonym of Trichoderma aurantiacum Pers. 1796 (= Sporotrichum aurantiacum (Pers.) Fr). In his monograph of Sporotrichum Stalpers (1984) chose to follow Fries. He also considered Sporotrichum aureum as an anamorphic stage of Riopa metamorphosa .

To formally settle the names Sporotrichum , Sporotrichum aureus and Sporotrichum aurantiacum we need to designate neotypes for the two species in question. In line with Stalper’s interpretation, we designate here the collection Vlasák 0511/15 (H 7008577) as the neotype of Sporotrichum aureum Link, and collection Spirin 2456 (H 7029505) as the neotype of Sporotrichum aurantiacum .

This makes Sporotrichum an older name available for Riopa under the ICBN Melbourne code article 59.1. However, adoption of Sporotrichum , traditionally a very heterogeneous set of anamorphs, for a small genus of polypores would only create confusion. Stalpers (1984) described the genus as a “litterbag” of conidiogenous fungi, and accepted only three species. According to him the teleomorphs of those three species are in separate genera ( Laetiporus , Phanerochaete and Pycnoporellus / Riopa ) that we now know are phylogenetically distinct. Although the type species Riopa produces an anamorph, we have seen no conidia in the other species of the genus ( Riopa pudens ). In this situation it is better to coin Riopa , a name without identity problems, for this polypore genus. We suggest conservation of the teleomorphic name Riopa D. A. Reid 1968 over the anamorphic Sporotrichum Link 1809.