Fungalpedia – Note 144 Serpula
Serpula (Pers.) Gray
Citation if using this entry: Bera et al. (in prep) – Fungalpedia, Basidiomycota 1. Mycosphere
Index Fungorum,MycoBank, Facesoffungi,GenBank, Fig. 1
Serpulaceae, Boletales, Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota,Fungi
The term “Serpula” was initially regarded as a section (Merulius sect.Serpula Pers.) under another genus Merulius Fr. by C.H. Persoon (1801). Later, Gray (1821) recognizedSerpula as a separate genus. Nevertheless, there has consistently been a debate regarding the taxonomic classification ofSerpula. After studying various series of specimens ofMerulius (as defined by Fries and Burt), Cooke (1943) concluded the generic level ofSerpula based onS. lacrymans (Wulfen) J. Schröt. that would encompass species with dark-colored basidiospores. The members of this genus are characterized by resupinate, rarely pileate, fleshy or sometimes floccose, membranous, generally dark-brown basidiomata (Cooke 1957). The hymenium is poroid with obtuse-edged pores. No type of cystidia has been documented in members ofSerpula (Cooke 1957). The basidiospores can be smooth to rarely verrucose, usually globose to ovoid, and range from yellowish to rusty or brownish (Cooke 1957). Serpula, a member of the familySerpulaceae, represents a true saprobe behavior causing brown rot. Among its many saprotrophic species, is the destructive house-invading dry rot taxa,S. lacrymans. However, by inferring the evolutionary history ofSerpulaceae based on SSU, LSU, 5.8S,rpb2,tef 1 sequence data, Skrede et al. (2011) concluded thatSerpula clusters with two closely related ectomycorrhizal genera,Austropaxillus Bresinsky & Jarosch andGymnopaxillus E. Horak, the three composing the familySerpulaceae. To date, approximately 15 species ofSerpula have been documented worldwide as per Species Fungorum (https://www.speciesfungorum.org/). Though a lot of application-based research has been done onS. lacrymans, there has been limited documentation regarding the other taxa of this genus.
Synonym: Plicaturella Murrill,Xylophagus Link, Xylomyzon Pers., Gyrophora Pat., andGyrophana Pat.
Type species: Serpula lacrymans (Wulfen) J. Schröt
Other accepted species: Refer Species Fungorum (https://www.speciesfungorum.org/)
Figure 1.Serpula similis. a. Basidiomata. b. Basidiospores. c. Generative hyphae. d. Skeletal hyphae. e. Basidia and basidioles. Scale bars: b–e = 5 μm. Picture from Silva et al. 2019, drawn from b–e = Dai Y-C 2004.
References
Cooke WB 1943 –Some basidiomycetes from Mount Shasta. Mycologia, 35(3), 277–293.
Cooke WB 1957 –The generaSerpula andMeruliporia. Mycologia, 49(2), 197–225.
Dai Y-C 2004 –Serpula (Aphyllophorales, Basidiomycota) in China. Mycosystema, 23(1), 7–10.
Gray SF 1821 –A Natural Arrangement of British Plants. Vol. 1. London: Baldwin, Cradock and Joy. 637 p.
Persoon CH 1801 –Synopsis methodica fungorum (in Latin). Göttingen: Apud Henricum Dieterich. 496 p.
Silva RMFD, Soares AM, Pádua APSLD, Firmino AL, Souza-Motta CMD, Silva GAD, … Fan X 2019 –Mycological diversity description II. Acta Botanica Brasilica, 33, 163–173.
Skrede I, Engh IB, Binder M, Carlsen T, Kauserud H, Bendiksby M 2011 –Evolutionary history ofSerpulaceae (Basidiomycota): molecular phylogeny, historical biogeography and evidence for a single transition of nutritional mode. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 11(1), 1–13.
Entry by
Ishika Bera, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
(Edited byKevin D Hyde)
Published online 3 October 2023