The Botryobasidiaceae are a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of fungi in the order

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

 Cantharellales

Cantharellales

The Cantharellales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order includes not only the chanterelles , but also some of the tooth fungi , clavarioid fungi , and corticioid fungi...

. The family contains a group of corticioid fungi

Corticioid fungi

The corticioid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota typically having effused, smooth basidiocarps that are formed on the undersides of dead attached or fallen branches. They are sometimes colloquially called crust fungi or patch fungi...

 that form thin, web-like basidiocarps. Some species form asexual anamorphs producing chlamydospores

Chlamydospore

A Chlamydospore is the thick-walled big resting spore of several kinds of fungi. It is the life-stage which survives in unfavourable conditions, such as dry or hot seasons....

. All are believed to be wood-rotting or litter-rotting saprotrophs. None is known to be of any economic importance.

History

The name Botryobasidioideae was first introduced as a subfamily of the Corticiaceae

Corticiaceae

The Corticiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Corticiales. The family formerly included almost all the corticioid fungi, whether they were related or not, and as such was highly artificial...

 in 1958 by Swedish mycologist John Eriksson, but was not fully described and validly published until taken up by Estonian mycologist Erast Parmasto

Erast Parmasto

Erast Parmasto is a noted Estonian mycologist, bioscientist and botanist . He became a member of the Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany in 1950 and served as its director from 1985-1990...

 in 1968. Parmasto placed the genera Botryobasidium (together with the anamorphic genus Oidium) and Uthatobasidium within the subfamily, noting that they shared certain "primitive" characters linking them to the Ceratobasidiaceae

Ceratobasidiaceae

The Ceratobasidiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Cantharellales. All species within the family have basidiocarps that are thin and effused. They have sometimes been included within the corticioid fungi or alternatively within the "heterobasidiomycetes". Species are saprotrophic, but some...

 and Tulasnellaceae

Tulasnellaceae

The Tulasnellaceae are a family of fungi in the order Cantharellales. The family comprises mainly effused fungi formerly referred to the "jelly fungi" or heterobasidiomycetes...

. In 1982 Jülich raised the subfamily to the rank of family, as the Botryobasidiaceae, and placed it in a new order

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

, the Botryobasidiales (which also included the family Botryohypochnaceae). A standard 1995 reference work included within the Botryobasidiaceae the corticioid genera Botryobasidium, Botryodontia, Botryohypochnus (considered a synonym of Botryobasidium), Candelabrochaete

Candelabrochaete

Candelabrochaete is a genus of fungi in the family Phanerochaetaceae.-External links:*...

, Suillosporium, and Waitea

Waitea

Waitea is a genus of fungi in the family Corticiaceae. The genus contains two species found in Australia and Switzerland....

, based mainly on similarities in their basidiocarp micromorphology

Morphology (biology)

In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....

. The family was placed in the order Stereales.

Current status

Molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, has confirmed the Botryobasidiaceae as a separate family, but restricted to the genera Botryobasidium and its anamorphs together with Botryohypochnus (if distinct). The family is placed alongside the Ceratobasidiaceae and Tulasnellaceae within the order Cantharellales. Genera previously included within the Botryobasidiaceae have now been placed in the Corticiales

Corticiales

The Corticiales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order is mostly composed of corticioid fungi, but also includes one anomalous agaricoid species, Marchandiomphalina foliacea. Species within the order are generally saprotrophic, most of them wood-rotters, but several are...

 (Waitea), Hymenochaetales

Hymenochaetales

The Hymenochaetales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order in its current sense is based on molecular research and not on any unifying morphological characteristics. According to one 2008 estimate, the Hymenochaetales contain around 600 species worldwide, mostly corticioid...

 (Botryodontia), and Polyporales

Polyporales

The Polyporales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order includes some polypores as well as many corticioid fungi and a few agarics . Species within the order are saprotrophic, most of them wood-rotters...

 (Candelabrochaete). The disposition of Suillosporium is as yet unknown.

Habitat and distribution

According to a 2008 estimate, the Botryobasidiaceae contains around 80 species worldwide. Species are assumed to be wood- and litter-rotting saprotrophs and are typically found on the undersides of fallen, rotting branches in woodland leaf litter. Basidiocarps are thin and ephemeral. None is known to be of any economic importance.