Irpex lacteus

Irpex lacteus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Polyporales
Family:	Irpicaceae
Genus:	Irpex
Species:	I. lacteus
Binomial name
Irpex lacteus (Fr.) Fr. (1828)

Irpex lacteus is a common crust fungus distributed throughout temperate areas of the world. It is the type of the genus Irpex. Irpex lacteus is considered a polypore, but depending on growth conditions it can also produce a hydnoid hymenophore. Due to this variability and abundance of the species it has been described as a new species to science numerous times and subsequently has an extensive synonymy. The complete genome sequence of Irpex lacteus was reported in 2017.[1]

Irpex lacteus is a white-rot fungus that inhabits mainly angiosperm branches and trunks.[2] It is one of the most common wood-rotting fungi for instance in urban North America. It is inedible.[3] The fungus has been identified as a cause of pulmonary infections in immuno-compromised humans.[4]

Infested, of possible Irpex lacteus growth on a deceased section of a cherry tree.

Taxonomy

The fungus was first described in 1818 by Elias Magnus Fries, who called it Sistotrema lacteum.[5] Fries later made it the type species of the genus Irpex in 1828.[6]

Synonyms

• Boletus cinerascens Schwein. (1822)
• Boletus tulipiferae Schwein. (1822)
• Coriolus lacteus (Fr.) Pat. (1900)
• Coriolus tulipiferae (Schwein.) Pat. (1900)
• Daedalea diabolica Speg. (1889)
• Hirschioporus lacteus (Fr.) Teng (1963)

Irpex lacteus Mycological characteristics
	Hymenium attachment is not applicable
	Lacks a stipe
	Ecology is saprotrophic
	Edibility is inedible

• Hydnum lacteum (Fr.) Fr. (1823)
• Irpex bresadolae Schulzer (1885)
• Irpex diabolicus (Speg.) Bres. (1919)
• Irpex hirsutus Kalchbr. (1878)
• Irpex lacteus f. sinuosus (Fr.) Nikol. (1953)
• Irpex pallescens Fr. (1838)
• Irpex sinuosus Fr. (1828)
• Irpiciporus lacteus (Fr.) Murrill (1907)
• Irpiciporus tulipiferae (Schwein.) Murrill (1905)
• Microporus chartaceus (Berk. & M.A.Curtis) Kuntze, (1898)
• Microporus cinerascens (Schwein.) Kuntze (1898)
• Polyporus chartaceus Berk. & M.A.Curtis (1849)
• Polyporus tulipiferae (Schwein.) Overh. [as 'tulipiferus'], (1915)
• Polystictus bresadolae (Schulzer) Sacc. (1888)
• Polystictus chartaceus (Berk. & M.A.Curtis) Cooke, (1886)
• Polystictus cinerascens (Schwein.) Cooke (1886)
• Polystictus cinerescens (Schwein.) Cooke
• Polystictus tulipiferae (Schwein.) Cooke (1886)
• Poria cincinnati Berk. ex Cooke, (1886)
• Poria tulipiferae (Schwein.) Cooke, (1888)
• Sistotrema lacteum Fr. (1818)
• Steccherinum lacteum (Fr.) Krieglst. (1999)
• Trametes lactea (Fr.) Pilát (1940)
• Xylodon bresadolae (Schulzer) Kuntze (1898)
• Xylodon hirsutus (Kalchbr.) Kuntze (1898)
• Xylodon lacteus (Fr.) Kuntze (1898)
• Xylodon pallescens (Fr.) Kuntze (1898)
• Xylodon sinuosus (Fr.) Kuntze (1898)

References

1. Yao, Mengwei; Li, Wenman; Duan, Zihong; Zhang, Yinliang; Jia, Rong (2017). "Genome sequence of the white-rot fungus Irpex lacteus F17, a type strain of lignin degrader fungus". Standards in Genomic Sciences. 12 (8): 400–3. doi:10.1186/s40793-017-0267-x. PMC 5596461. PMID 5596461.
2. Gilbertson RL, Ryvarden L (1986) North American polypores 1, Abortiporus to Lindtneria. Oslo, Fungiflora.
3. Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p. 324. ISBN 978-1-55407-651-2.
4. Multiple (2005). "The Polypore Mushroom Irpex lacteus, a New Causative Agent of Fungal Infections". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 43 (4). American Society for Microbiology: 2009–2011. doi:10.1128/JCM.43.4.2009-2011.2005. PMC 1081321. PMID 15815046.
5. Fries, E.M. (1818). Observationes mycologicae (in Latin). Vol. 2. p. 266.
6. Fries, E.M. (1828). Elenchus Fungorum (in Latin). Vol. 1. p. 145.