Russulaceae

Russulaceae
"Russula emetica"
Russula emetica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Russulales
Family: Russulaceae
Lotsy (1907)[1]
Type genus
Russula
Pers. (1796)
Genera

1including Arcangeliella, Gastrolactarius, and Zelleromyces
2including Cystangium, Gymnomyces, Elasmomyces, Martellia, and Macowanites

Synonyms[2][3]

The Russulaceae are a diverse family of fungi in the order Russulales, with roughly 1,900 known species and a worldwide distribution. They comprise the brittlegills and the milk-caps, well-known mushroom-forming fungi that include some edible species. These gilled mushrooms are characterised by the brittle flesh of their fruitbodies.

In addition to these typical agaricoid forms, the family contains species with fruitbodies that are laterally striped (pleurotoid), closed (secotioid or gasteroid), or crust-like (corticioid). Molecular phylogenetics has demonstrated close affinities between species with very different fruitbody types and has discovered new, distinct lineages.

An important group of root-symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi in forests and shrublands around the world includes Lactifluus, Multifurca, Russula, and Lactarius. The crust-forming genera Boidinia, Gloeopeniophorella, and Pseudoxenasma, all wood-decay fungi, have basal positions in the family.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lotsy 1907 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pegler 1979 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Calonge 2000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).