A preliminary monograph of Lentinellus (Russulales)

This volume presents three extensive papers on Lentinellus KARSTEN, a mushroom genus especially rich in species in Europe and North America, its taxonomy, morphology, biogeography and phyologeny, the latter based on ribosome sequences. Lentinellus is summarized based on worldwide collections. Twenty-four species are accepted. Nomina incertae sedis, Species Rejicienda, studies of type specimens and problems of typification are included topics. One species ( L. castoreus ) is reported as cosmopolitan, two appear to be circum-North Temperate ( L. micheneri, L. ursinus ), two are Gondwanan ( L. novae-zelandiae, L. pulvinulus ); the distribution of all others is restricted. Type specimens representing names originally described or recombined in Lentinellus are examined macro- and micromorphologically. Such studies help to stabilize the use of names, and more accurately place the type specimen within the range of characters for the appropriate taxon. A phylogenetic reconstruction of Lentinellus based on sequences of ribosomal ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 DNA is offered. Several infrageneric clades are identified, with some species well-separated (i. e. L. ursinus, L. castoreus, L. auricula, L. cochleatus ), while several species separable on morphological and/or sexual distinctions appear grouped together (i. e. L. micheneri, L. subaustralis, L. flabelliformis, L. montanus, etc.). More robust phylogenies of L. castoreus and L. ursinus are described, as are possible origins of these species. The volume is augmented by thirteen color plates. Key words: Nomenclature, Names, Morphology, Taxonomy, Russulales, Lentinellaceae, Biogeography, Key. Phylogeny, DNA sequences, phylogeography.