POLYPORE SKELETOCUTIS-LENIS AND ITS SIB SKELETOCUTIS-VULGARIS

Skeletocutis lenis (P. Karst.) Niemela is a poroid basidiomycete, livi ng on dead wood and causing a white rot. A study of herbarium material revealed that the common concept of the species includes another spec ies, S. vulgaris (Fries) Niemela & Y.C. Dal, n. comb. Both species are described and illustrated. Skeletocutis lenis is characterized by per ennial basidiocarps, fairly big pores and cylindrical, strongly curved spores; its generative hyphae lack swollen tips at dissepiment edge a nd hymenium; its skeletal hyphae are mostly > 3 mu m in diam, bear a d istinct lumen, and swell in KOH. Skeletocutis vulgaris is as a rule an nual, small-pored, and its spores are cylindrical, moderately curved, and narrower than those of S. lenis. Generative hyphae of the dissepim ent edge and hymenium occasionally have a swollen tip. The skeletal hy phae of S. vulgaris are mostly < 3 mu m in diam, subsolid without a di stinct lumen, and do not change or only slightly swell in KOH. The for mer has a northerly distribution and prefers fallen trunks of Pinus, w hile S. vulgaris is more southern and inhabits a wide range of both gy mnosperm and angiosperm hosts. These two species have different ecolog y: S. lenis usually Lives on very rotten wood in moist places, while S . vulgaris inhabits recently decorticated trunks, frequently in dry lo calities. Both species are found in Europe, Asia and North America.