Order Cantharellales: Taxonomic and Ecological Diversification

Abstract

The review is devoted to the taxonomic representation of the order Cantharellales in connection with problems of taxonomical history of the group and problems of its ecological diversification. The history of the taxonomy of Cantharellales is considered, and it is shown that at present the order is limited to no more than 550 species from 31 genera and 5 families: Aphelariaceae (Aphelaria, Phaeoaphelaria, Tumidapexus); Botryobasidiaceae (Botryobasidium with anamorphs, Suillosporium); Ceratobasidiaceae (Ceratoporia, Ceratobasidium pr.p., Rhizoctonia); Hydnaceae (Bergerella, Bryoclavula, Bulbilla, Burgella, Burgellopsis, Burgoa, Cantharellus, Clavulina, Craterellus, Gloeomucro, Hydnum, Ingoldiella, Membranomyces, Minimedusa, Multiclavula, Neoburgoa, Parastereopsis, Repetobasidiellum, Rogersiomyces, Sistotrema, Sistotremella); and Tulasnellaceae (Pseudotulasnella, Stilbotulasnella, Tulasnella). The unresolved problems of the Cantharellales taxonomy are discussed. The ecomorphological and ecological-trophic diversification of the order is consi-dered. A synopsis of families and genera is given with identification keys and detailed original taxa diagnoses down to the generic level. It is concluded that, during the evolution of the order Cantharellales and other large groups of Agaricomycetes, there is a parallelism associated with the development by fungi of similar adaptive zones that opened up in connection with the Early Cretaceous diversification of the terrestrial biota: the co-lonization of wood debris with the formation of hypochnoid, corticioid, and secondary resupinate forms; fo-rest litter with the formation of clavarioid and ramarioid forms; the development of sporulation within grasses with a reduction of cantharelloid and secondary formation of clavarioid forms; the formation of ectomycorrhizae and orchid mycorrhiza by lignotrophic fungi; and colonization of moss protonemata, films of aerophytic algae, and lichen thalli.