Piloderma

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Piloderma is a genus of fungi in the family Atheliaceae. It is part of the kingdom Fungi, division Basidiomycota, class Agaricomycetes, and order Atheliales. The genus was described by Jülich in 1969, with Piloderma bicolor as the type species. There are six species: Piloderma bicolor, Piloderma byssinum, Piloderma lanatum, Piloderma lapillicola, Piloderma olivaceum, and Piloderma sphaerosporum. Piloderma fungi have thick-walled basidiospores (about 0.25 μm), club-shaped basidia with stalk-like bases, and hyphae that lack clamp connections. They are important ectomycorrhizal partners in conifer forests, helping trees recycle and take up nitrogen.