COMA/PVMA FUNGI PHOTO COLLECTIONS
Over roughly the past two hundred years mycologists have been using observation, chemical tests and microscopes to help identify fungi. Until quite recently our taxonomic systems have been grounded in the belief that fungi sharing similar morphological characteristics are closely related.
Nowadays nuclear DNA sequencing is being harnessed as the latest tool for identifying fungi and their phylogenetic relationships. The upshot is that while many of our taxonomic groupings continue to be useful for field identification, the implication that they represent evolutionary developments among fungi in their respective groupings does not hold up to scrutiny.
For a range of good reasons, many field mycologists have not been entirely eager to adopt the flood of new names and taxonomic changes that have upset our ideas regarding logical relationships. But as techniques improve for assessing phylogenetic relationships, we will all eventually embrace the changes that are taking place.
Darwin, were he alive today, would be delighted that we are finally prepared to accept that fungi, just like other living organisms, are not static. They are constantly evolving and adapting to large scale environmental challenges typically occurring over millions of years brought on by loss or gain of habitat due to the earth’s cycles of heat and cold, changing oxygen and water levels, continental drift, massive extinction of species, and so on.
So exactly what are the reasons behind all the new names for fungi? We are learning that some fungi that we grouped together based on their similar structures are in fact rather distantly related. And some fungi that don’t look anything like one another are actually more closely related than are fungi that do look similar. At the same time, we are realizing that many of the European names North American mycologists adopted for our lookalike mushrooms are genetically different. They may once have been genetically the same, but over the course of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousand or millions of years they have changed enough to to be considered unique species - often adapted to enitely different habitas than their lookalikes living elsewhere in the world. We are also discovering that at least some of the mushrooms we first learned to identify with confidence are a not single species or even a variation of a single species. What we having been calling Amanita vaginata, for example, appears to actually be a complex of different species. The same goes for the common Turkey Tail polypore, Trametes versicolor and many other fungi. Such discoveries have necessitated not only a change in a given fungi’s order and/or family or genus, but also changes in their names. In many cases, names for unidentified species have to be determined and accepted. This process is done in accordance with the rules devised by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN).
ORGANIZATION OF FUNGI USED on www.fungikingdom.net
Between 2002 and 2013 I documented and helped in the identification of the fungi found during scheduled walks in the New York-Connecticut region of the northeast for the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association (COMA). The photos in this section of the website depict many of the most commonly found macrofungi found in the northeast of the North American continent, as well as some unusual finds. To these photos I am adding photos of fungi found where I now live in western MA with our local club, the Pioneer Valley Mycological Association (PVMA).
The recent changes in taxonomy and nomenclature led me to attempt to organize the COMA and PVMA photos in accordance with the latest accepted information available on phylogenetic relationships within a (changing) framework that is gradually becoming familiar even to amateur mycologists. While this attempt may at first be confusing for novices as well as experienced mycophiles who are used to the previously established ways of organizing mushrooms by shape, spore color and spore shape, ultimately everyone will get used to the new approach and will benefit from gaining a deeper understanding of the complexity of fungal relationships.
I can guarantee that many fungi currently assigned to a particular order, family and genus will change, or at least their scientific names will change. I have already found instances where a name has been changed and then has been returned to the original one. So despite my best efforts, the site will inevitably feature placements which will become out of date.
As of February 2016, every category is current and in accordance with INDEX FUNGORUM (which is not always uptodate itself). I will do my best to keep this site current, although this does not mean that there are no identification errors. If you disagree with an ID, I would be pleased to hear from you. Send me an email to diannasmith1@mac.com with your comments.
WHAT ARE THE NEW NAMES?
If you are interested in learning the currently accepted names for mushrooms described in your field guides, start here. To learn them more easily, I suggest you write the new names on those removable little white sticky tags. Place those names with the text and on the photos of the relevant individual mushrooms. Note, as molecular analysis of fungi contiinues, there will continue to be changes in names for fungi. I will do my best to keep this page uptodate. (List is below photo of Harrya chromapes (previously Leccinum chromapes and Tylopilus chromapes). You can download and print mushroom checlists to record what you find on your fungi walks by visiting our sister-site www.fungikingdom.org. The checklists are regularly updated to reflect the most currently accpted new names for fungi, There is both a BEGINNERS and an ADVANCED list. To stay current, download a new list on a monthly basis at http://www.fungikingdom.org/checklist-downloads.html
This list was last updated on February 5, 2016
NAMES IN FIELD GUIDES NEWLY ACCEPTED NAMES
Albatrellus caeruleoporus Neoalbatrellus caeruleoporus
Amanita formosa Amanita muscaria var. guesowii
Amanita brunnescens var. alba Amanita brunnescens
Amanita brunnescens var. brunnescens Amanita brunnescens
Amanita ceciliae Amanita rhacopus (prov. name)
Armillaria ostoyae Armillaria solidipes
Auricularia auricula Auricularia americana
Boletellus russellii Frostiella russellii
Boletus auripes Aureoboletus aureissimus
Boletus auriporus Aureoboletus auriporus
Boletus badius Imleria badia
Boletus bicolor Baorangia bicolor
Boletus calopus Caloboletus calopus
Boletus chrysenteroides Boletellus chrysenteroides
Boletus chrysenteron Xerocomellus chrysenteron
Boletus discolor Neoboletus luridiformis
Boletus frostii Exsudoporus frostii
Boletus griseus Retiboletus griseus
Boletus hortonii Xerocomus hortonii
Boletus illudens Xerocomus illudens
Boletus inedulis Caloboletus inedulis
Boletus innixus Pulveroboletus innixus
Boletus lignicola Buckwaldoboletus lignicola
Boletus morrisii Xerocomus morrisii
Boletus ornatipes Retiboletus ornatipes
Boletus pulverulentus Cyanoboletus pulverulentus
Boletus ravenelii Pulveroboletus ravenelii
Boletus rhodosanguineus Rubroboletus rhodosanguineus
Boletus roxanae Aureoboletus roxanae
Boletus rubellus Hortiboletus rubellus
Boletus rubropunctus Leccinum rubropunctum
Boletus speciosus var. brunneus Butyriboletus speciosus var. brunneus
Boletus subglabripes Hemileccinum subglabripes
Camarophyllus praetensis Cuphophyllus praetensis
Clavaria vermicularis Clavaria fragilis
Clavicorona pyxidata Artomyces pyxidatus
Clavulina cristata Clavulina coralloides
Clitocybe clavipes Ampulloclitocybe clavipes
Clitocybe cyathiformis Pseudoclitocybe cyathyformis
Clitocybe ectipoides Pseudoarmillaria ectypoides
Collybia alkalivirens Gymnopus alkalivirens
Collybia butryacea Rhodocollybia butyracea
Collybia confluens Gymnopus confluens
Collybia dryophila Gymnopus dryophilus
Collybia luxurians Gymnopus luxurians
Collybia subnuda Gymnopus subnudus
Collybia maculata Rhodocollybia maculata
Coprinus atramentarius Coprinopsis atramentaria
Coprinus disseminatus Coprinellus disseminatus
Coprinus lagopus Coprinosis lagopus
Coprinus micaeus Coprinellus micaceus
Cordyceps capitata Topocladium capitatum
Cordyceps ophioglossoides Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides
Craterellus fallax Craterellus cornucopioides
Crinipellis zonata Collybia zonata
Dacrymyces palmatus Dacrymyces chrysospermus
Daldinia concentrica Daldinia childiae
Elaphocordyceps capitata Topocladium capitatum
Exidia nucleata Myxarium nucleatum
Favolus alveolaris Neofavolus alveolaris
Galerina autumnalis Galerina marginata
Ganoderma applanatum Ganoderma megaloma
Gloeoporus dichros Gelatoporia dichroa
Gomphus floccosus Turbinellus floccosus
Gomphus kaufmannii Turbinellus kaufmannii
Gymnopilus spectabilis Gymnopilus junonius
Gyrodon merulioides Boletinellus merulioides
Hydnochaete olivacea Pseudochaete olivacea
Hydnochaete tabacina Hymenochaete odontoides
Hygrophorus virgineus Cuphophyllus virgineus
Hygrocybe flavescens Hygrocybe chlorophana
Hygrocybe irrigata Gliophorus irrigatus
Hygrocybe laeta Gliophorus laetus
Hygrocybe marginata Humidicutis marginata
Hygrocybe marginata var. concolor Humidicutis marginata var. concolor
Hygrocybe marginata var. olivacea Humidicutis marginata var. olivacea
Hygrocybe nitida Glioxanthomyces nitidus
Hygrocybe psittacina Gliophorus psittacinus
Hygrocybe vitellina Glioxanthomyces vitellinus
Hymenochaete agglutinans Pseudochaete corrugata
Hymenochaete badioferruginea Pseudochaete tabacina
Hymenochaete olivacea Pseudochaete olivacea
Hypholoma sublateritium Hypholoma lateritium
Hypoxyon multiforme Annulohypoxylon multiforme
Inonotus dryadeus Pseudoinonotus dryadeus
Inonotus tomentosus Onnia tomentosa
Lactarius corrugis Lactifluus corrugis
Lactarius hygrophoroides Lactifluus hygrophoroides
Lactarius luteolus Lactifluus luteolus
Lactarius piperatus var. glaucascens Lactarius glaucascens
Lactarius volemus Lactifluus volemus
Lactifluus subvellereus Lactarius subvellereus
Lactifluus vellereus Lactarius vellereus
Leccinum aurantiacum Leccinum vulpinum
Lentinus conchatus Panus conchatus
Lentinus strigosus Panus strigosus
Lepiota americana Leucoagaricus americanus
Lepiota cepaestipes Leucocoprinus cepaestipes
Lepiota lutea Leucocoprinus birnbaumii
Lepiota procera Macrolepiota procera
Lepiota molybdites Chlorophyllum molybdites
Lepiota naucina Leucoagaricus naucinus
Lepiota rhacodes Chlorophyllum rhacodes
Lepiota rubrotincta Leucoagaricus rubrotinctus
Marasmius nigripes Tetrapyrogus nigripes
Melanoleuca subresplendens Tricholoma subresplendens
Meripilus giganteus Meripilus sumstinei
Omphalina chrysophylla Chrysomphalina chrysophylla
Omphalotus olearis Omphalotus illudens
Otidea uniisa Sowerbyella unicisa
Oudemansiella radicata Hymenopellis furfuracea
Oudemansiella megalospora Hymenopellis megalospora
Panaeolus foenisecii Panaeolina foenisecii
Paxillus atrotomentosus Tapinella atrotomentosa
Peziza badioconfusa Peziza phyllogena
Phellinus rimosus Phellinus robineae
Pholiota albocrenulata Hemistropharia albocrenulata
Pisolithus tinctorus Pisolithus arrhizus
Polyporus badius Royoporus badius
Polyporus elegans Polyporus leptocephalus
Psathyrella velutina Lacrymaria velutina
Pycnoporus cinnabarinus Pycnoporus coccineus
Russula crustosa (green quilted) Russula parvovirescens
Russula laurocasi Russula grata
Scleroderma geaster Scleroderma polyrhizzum
Sparassis crispa Sparassis americana
Strobilomyces floccopus Strobilomyces strobilaceus
Suillus castanellus Bothia castanella
Trametes conchifer Poronidulus conchifer
Tremellodendron pallidum Tremellodendron schweinitzii
Tricholomopsis platyphylla Megacollybia rodmani
Tyromyces caesius Postia caesius
Tylopilus chromapes Harrya chromapes
Tylopilus eximius Sutorius eximius
Ustilinia deusta Kretzschmaria deusta
Xerula furfuracea Hymenopellis furfuracea
Xerocomus rubellus Hortiboletus rubellus