Chapter 2: FUNGI CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE.

The Kingdom Fungi is enormous, the identified species and those not yet classified add up to over
300,000 species. The majority of these species are microscopic fungi (yeasts and moulds, often
used for the production of antibiotics). A relatively small number of species have reproductive
systems known as mushrooms that can be easily observed.
In the field, fungi of various shapes and colours can be observed. Examples of common shapes
and appearances are the saddle or honeycomb shapes, coral shape appearances or egg-shaped
growing under ground, and finally the best known appearance, the umbrella shaped (with a cap
and a stipe). Similar variations exist in the colour, taste and smell of fungi. However, such
macroscopic observations are not sufficient to achieve a proper scientific identification and
classification of fungi and, consequently, microscopic studies are also necessary.
For the purposes of this guide the following classification is used (COURTECUISSE, 1994):
Kingdom Fungi
Division Amastigomycota
Subdivision Ascomycotina
Class Ascomycetes
Subclass Pyrenomycetidae
Order Xylariales
Subclass Pezizomycetideae
Order Helotiales
Order Ostropales
Order Pezizales
Order Tuberales
Subdivision Basidiomycotina
Class Phragmabasidiomycetes
Order Auriculariales
Order Tremellales
Class Homobadisiomycetes
Subclass Aphyllophoromycetideae
Order Cantharellales
Order Clavariales
Order Ganodermatales
Order Polyporales
Suclass Gasteromycetidae
Order Lycoperdales
Order Sclerodermatales
Subclass Agaricomycetideae
Order Agaricales
Order Amanitales
Order Boletales
Order Cortinariales
Order Entolomatales
Order Pluteales
Order Russulales
Order Tricholomatales

ASCOMYCETES.
They are called higher fungi along with the
Basidiomycetes. They differ from the Basidiomycetes in
their reproductive cells. Ascomycetes are characterised by
sac-shape sporanges of relatively big size (up to 400 m
[0.4 mm]) which are called asci, with spores inside, the
ascospores. These reproductive cells are surrounded
by sterile ones, the paraphyses, both are part of the
hymenium.
The most interesting species from a gastronomic and
commercial point of view are from the following genera:
Morchella, Helvella, Tuber, Terfezia.

Aleuria aurantia

BASIDIOMYCETES.
Their sporanges are club-shaped formations and
are called basidia; they carry basidiospores
attached to them through the intermediate of a
sterigma. The sterile cells surrounding them are
cystidia.

The Basidiomycetes are divided in different groups according to microscopic characteristics:

Phragmabasidiomycetes: the basidia have membranous walls orientated transversally or
longitudinally. They are of gelatinous or ligneous consistence. They can produce secondary
spores from the basidiospores.
Homobasidiomycetes: the basidia do not have walls, are not clavate (club-shaped) or
cylindrical and their basidiospores never produce secondary spores. They form the majority
of the known species.
Aphyllophoromycetideae: this order includes fungi of very various shapes and with
hymenia formed of pleats, spines, tubes, alveoli, scales and which can be smooth, etc.
Boletales: the hymenium of these fungi is formed by pores and tubes, although they can
exceptionally have gills easily separable from the cap flesh.
Agaricomycetideae: these umbrella-shaped fungi have hymenium made up of gills and the
flesh is fibrous. This subclass has the highest diversity of species and it represents the
majority of edible (Amanita caesarea, Macrolepiotas, Agaricus, etc.) and poisonous
(Amanita, Lepiota, Entoloma, Cortinarius, etc.) fungi.
Russulales: they are umbrella-shaped and the hymenium has gills, but the flesh is
granulate and in the case of Lactarius contains latex.
B.3).- Gasteromycetideae.
Differing from the precedent group, the hymenium of these species is protected or enclosed inside
fruiting-bodies. This group includes puffballs (Lycoperdon, Calvatia ). They can be hypogeous or
epigeous.

MODERN TAXONOMY.
In 1735 the Swedish botanist Karl von Linn, better known as Linneus, published a book in
Latin entitled Systema Naturalis. His work presents a general classification of plants, based
on morphological characteristics, following some rational and universal criteria.
Linneus divided plants and living beings in general, in large kingdoms according to their
morphological characteristics, which were then divided more specifically by TYPE, CLASS,
ORDER and FAMILY, to finally group the living beings the most similar by GENUS and
SPECIES.

KINGDOM

TYPE or DIVISION

CLASS

ORDER

FAMILY

GENUS

SPECIES

The success of the method relies on its objective and universal character. Animals and plants
that are discovered at a later date will follow the same rules of classification that the ones
already discovered; therefore the method is open and flexible.
This universal system of classification of living beings is called binomial system, because
each species is defined by two Latin or Latinised names.
A generic name, always with its initial in capital letter.
A specific name, in lower-case letter.

Though it is an old system and subjected to continuous modifications, it is used world-wide by

scientists to classify living beings.
THE CURRENT CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI.
The Modern Mycological Taxonomy
There is a belief that a mycologist is only an expert in the identification of fungi, and it is often
forgotten that after the identification there is a great amount of work needed in the
classification of fungi.

For someone starting to discover and learn about Mycology, this part is one of the most
unpleasant, as it contains a lot of strange and difficult names.

Concerning the names, two problems occur:

To know, while facing a new name, which rank or taxon it corresponds to (are we
dealing with the genus, order, class or is it a common name in a vernacular
language?).
To know the hierarchical order of each rank.
The table below shows the most important ranks and its nomenclature.

MYCOLOGICAL TAXONOMY

CLASIFICATION

ABREVIATION

TERMINATION

KINGDOM

K.

FUNGI

DIVISION

D.

-MYCOTA.

Sub.DIVISIN

s.D.

-MYCOTINA.

CLASS

Cl.

-MYCETES

Sub.CLASS
ORDER
Sub.ORDER
FAMILY
Sub. FAMILY

s.Cl.

-MYCETIDEAE

O.

-ALES

s.O.

-INEAE

F. (Fam.)

-ACEAE

s.F. (s.Fam.)

-OIDEAE

TRIBU

T.

GENUS

- g.

SUBGENUS

- sg.

SPECIES

- spp.

SUBSPECIES

- ssp.

VARIETY

- var.

RACE

- r.

ECOTYPE

- ecot.

-EAE

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI

KINGDOM

D. GYMNOMYCOTA

Also called MYXOMYCETES

Division between fungi and animals or protista.
Mobile or immobile.

FUNGI

D. DEUTEROMYCOTA

D. MASTIGOMYCOTA

D. AMASTIGOMYCOTA

So-called IMPERFECT FUNGI in the past.

Asexual reproduction by conidia.
Alternation of reproductive phases:
sexual (anamorph)
asexual (teleomorph)
both ( synanamorph)
Important actual status:
medical (Candidiasis, Balstomicosis,
HIV).
industrial (Aspergillus, Penicillium).

Sexual reproduction by flagellated spores (+/).

Organisation without cellular separation
(cenocytic).
Important cause of diseases:
plant (Mildew, Ink).
animal (Trout disease: saprolegniosis).

Sexual reproduction (in all or part of the cycle).

Spores NEVER flagellated.
s.D. ZYGOMYCOTINA
Coenocytic structure.
s.D. ASCOMYCOTINA
s.D. BASIDIOMYCOTINA
Membranous walls.

GENERAL CLASIFICATION OF ASCOMYCETES

Cl. LABOULBENIOMYCETES.
Cl. ACARPOASCOMYCETES
s.D. ASCOMYCOTINA

Cl. PLECTOMYCETES.

s.Cl. Erysiphomycetideae

s.Cl. Pirenomycetidae
Cl. HYMENIOASCOMYCETES
s.Cl. Loculoascomycetideae
s.Cl. Lecanoromycetideae
s.Cl.Pezizomycetideae.

O. PHACIDIALES.
DISCOM. NO OPERCULADOS
s.C.PEZIZOMYCETIDEAE

O. OSTROPALES.
O. LEOTIALES.

DISCOM. OPERCULADOS

s.O. SARCOSCYPHINEAE
s. O. PEZIZINEAE

Fam. TERFEZIEAE.
TUBERALES
Fam. TUBERACEAE.

GENERAL CLASIFICATION OF BASIDIOMYCETES AND

APHYLLOPHOROMYCETES

Cl. TELIOMYCETES.
s.D. BASIDIOMYCOTINA

Cl. PHRAGMOBASIDIOMYCETES.
GRUPOS DE TRANSICION.
s.Cl. Aphyllophoromycetideae
Cl. HOMOBASIDIOMYCETES

s.Cl. Agaricomycetideae.
s.Cl. Gasteromycetideae.

O. CORTICIALES

S. Cl.
APHYLLOPHOROMYCETIDEAE

F. CORTICIACEAE
F. STEREACEAE

O. TELEPHORALES

F. BANKERACEAE
F. TELEPHORACEAE

O. HERICIALES

F. AURISCALPIACEAE
F. HERICIACEAE
F. CLAVICORONACEAE

O. HYMENOCHAETALES

F. COLTRICIACEAE
F. PHELLINACEAE

O. GANODERMATALES

F. GANODERMATACEAE

O. HYMENOCHAETALES

F. PHAEOLACEAE
F. GRIFOLACEAE
F. FOMITOPSIDACEAE
F. CORIOLACEAE
F. BJERKANDERACEAE
F. FISTULINACEAE
F. POLIPORACEAE
F. SCHYZOPYLLACEAE

O. CLAVARIALES

F. CLAVARIACEAE
F. CLAVARIADELPHACEAE
F. CLAVULINACEAE
F. RAMARIACEAE
F. SPARASSIDACEAE
F. TYPHULACEAE

O. CANTHARELLALES

F. GOMPHACEAE
F. HYDNACEAE
F. CRATERELLACEAE
F. CANTHARELLACEAE
F. SCUTIGERACEAE

GENERAL CLASIFICATION OF AGARICOMYCETES

O. TRICHOLOMATALES

F. PLEUROTACEAE
F. HYGROPHORACEAE
F. TRICHOLOMATACEAE
s.F. Tricholomatoideae
s.F. Leucopaxilloideae
s.F. Lyophylloideae
F. MARASMIACEAE
F. DERMOLOMACEAE

O. AGARICALES

F. AGARICACEAE
F. COPRINACEAE

O. AMANITALES

- g. Amanita
- g. Limacella

s.Cl. AGARICOMYCETIDEAE
O. PLUTEALES
O. ENTOLOMATALES

O. CORTINARIALES

O. RUSSULALES

O. BOLETALES

F. PLUTEACEAE
F. ENTOLOMATACEAE
F. MACROCYSTIDIACEAE
F. RHODOTACEAE
F. CORTINARIACEAE
F. CREPIDOTACEAE
F. STROPHARIACEAE
F. BOLBITIACEAE
F. ELASMOMYCETACEAE
F. RUSSULACEAE
F. HYGROPHOROPSIDACEAE
F. OMPHALOTACEAE
F. PAXILLACEAE
F. GOMPHIDIACEAE
F. BOLETACEAE
F. GYRODONTACEAE
F. STROBILOMYCETACEAE

GENERAL CLASIFICATION OF GASTEROMYCETES

O.HYMENOGASTERALES

F. HYMENOGASTRACEAE
F. GASTERELLACEAE

O. MELANOGASTRALES

F. MELANOGASTRACEAE
F. LEUCOGASTRACEAE

O. LYCOPERDALES

F. GEASTRACEAE
F. LYCOPERDACEAE

O.SCLERODERMATALES

F. ASTRACEAE
F. PISOLITHACEAE
F. SCLERODERMATACEAE

O. TULOSTOMALES

F. BATTARAEACEAE
F. TULOSTOMATACEAE

O. NIDULARIALES

F. NIDULARIACEAE
F. SPHAEROBOLACEAE

s.Cl.GASTEROMYCETIDEAE

O. HYSTERANGIALES

O. PHALLALES

F. PHALLACEAE
F. CLATHRACEAE