Fragiliporia

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Fragiliporia is the only genus in the fungal family Fragiliporiaceae. It contains Fragiliporia fragilis, a crust-like fungus described in 2014 by Chinese mycologists Y.C. Dai, B.K. Cui and C.L. Zhao. The type specimen was found on a rotting alder stump in Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Yunnan, China. The name fragilis refers to its brittle fruit bodies.

Taxonomy: Kingdom Fungi; Division Basidiomycota; Class Agaricomycetes; Order Polyporales; Family Fragiliporiaceae; Genus Fragiliporia; Type species Fragiliporia fragilis.

Fragiliporia fragilis is a white-rot fungus with soft fruit bodies that become powdery and brittle when bruised. The fruit body can reach up to 15 cm long, 5 cm wide, and 6 mm thick at the center. It has a monomitic hyphal system with generative hyphae that have clamp connections. Its spores are sausage-shaped (allantoid), thin-walled, and clear (hyaline), about 4.8–5.4 by 1.7–2 μm.

Genetics shows Fragiliporia occupies an isolated position within Polyporales. In 2017, it was found to be a sister group to Candelabrochaete africana, reinforcing its distinct lineage.