February 5, 2004

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February 5, 2004 The Hows and Whys of Naming Fungi
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IMPORTANT NOTES Course web page URL
is http//ppathw3.cals.cornell.edu/
plpa201/default.htm User name
plpa201 Password Shrms201 with a capital
S Term paper topics are going fast!!!

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Special Note Next Thursday and Friday - the
first demonstration/discussion session in Plant
Science. Look for signs on 2nd floor Lab is
open Thursday from 900am - 500pm
700pm - 900pm Friday 900am -
500pm
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Tarthuth - Cynomorium coccineum Also known as
Maltese fungus or Maltese mushroom in arid
Mediterranean sites.
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Obviously some cultures do use the term fungus
to refer to plants. Perhaps literal translation
of old records implicating true fungi in
religious or shamanistic rituals needs to be
rethought in light of uncertain definition.
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Medicinal properties of Tarthuth
Aphrodisiac Spermatopoietic Good for
digestive tract
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CARL WOESE University of Illinois
DOMAIN Kingdom Phylum Class Order F
amily Genus Species
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CARL WOESE University of Illinois
DOMAIN Kingdom Phylum Class Order
Family Genus Species
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Black jelly roll?
Witches butter?
Regional variations in common names makes use of
Latin names very important.
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Of many written contributions, most noteworthy
is SPECIES PLANTARUM published in 1753.
Carl Linneaus
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The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature

• For each species, there is only one valid name

• First description of new fungus must be in Latin

• Name for sexual stage has priority

• Earliest published description has priority

• For fungi, the official starting date is 1753

• Type specimen and culture must be designated

• First citation in literature must include the
  authors name or abbreviation thereof.

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Elias Fries
The Grand Old Man of Mycology
1794-1878
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Lewis de Schweinitz
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Before the study of fungi
After the study of fungi
1880
1906
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Smittia boomeranga
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Mutinus caninus
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Tilletia foetida
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Black spot of elm
Stegophora ulmea
GWHudler, Cornell Univ.
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Kabatiella zeae
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Rostafinskia
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Polyporus weirianus
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Most Common Reasons for Changing Fungus Names

• Sexual stage discovered

• Older name discovered

• Fungus originally misidentified
• Fungus reclassified based on genetic code

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Some DNA in the nucleus codes for RNA that
is then used to make ribosomes.
DNA that codes for the
RNA in ribosomes is comprised of
three genes.
---D---N---A---
---R---N---A---
Small subunit Subunit ----------
18S 5.8S 28S
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Some DNA in the nucleus codes for RNA that
is then used to make ribosomes.
DNA that codes for RNA in
ribosomes comprises three
genes Sequences of spacer regions are used
to differentiate species of fungi

---D---N---A---
---R---N---A---
18S 5.8S 28S
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Example of how to read a phylogenetic tree
Aspergillus flavus (mold)
Penicillium notatum (mold)
P. rubrum (mold)
Morchella esculenta (Morel mushroom)
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Bakers yeast)
Agaricus bisporus (Button mushroom)
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Good example of the power of ITS sequence
analysis turned one species of Armillaria into
at least nine!
Armillaria mellea A. mellea, A.
ostoyae, A. bulbosa, A. nabsnoneana, and at
least 5 other species
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Puffball on a stalk Shaggy mane
And these two seemingly unrelated species are
actually quite close.