Pyrenopolyporus Lloyd, Mycological Writings 5 (50): 706 (1917)

Index Fungorum number: IF 4599; MycoBank number: MB 4599; Facesoffungi number: FoF 02998; 5 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2020), 4 species with sequence data.

Type species – Pyrenopolyporus hunteri Lloyd

Notes – Pyrenopolyporus is characterized by massive stromata with vinaceous shades on the surface, long tubular perithecia and umbilicate ostioles. Superficially, these stromata actually resemble a polyporaceous basidiomycete. Based on morphology, phylogeny and chemotaxonomy, Wendt et al. (2018) resurrected Pyrenopolyporus and transferred it to Hypoxylaceae. The genus has a close affinity to Daldinia, and the stromata resemble those of D. placentiformis and D. korfii, which lack conspicuous internal stromatal concentric zones. However, Pyrenopolyporus species deviate from those of the latter genus by producing a characteristic virgariella-like asexual morph in culture, by having characteristic, irregular ascospores and by producing drastically different secondary metabolite profiles in their stromata as well as their cultures (Wendt et al. 2018). For example, the cultures of Pyrenopolyporus produce cochliodinol, whereas those of Daldinia produce chromones and other small polyketides.

Species

  • Pyrenopolyporus hunteri