Thelephora
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Thelephora | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Thelephora terrestris | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Thelephorales |
| Family: | Thelephoraceae |
| Genus: | Thelephora Ehrh. ex Willd. (1787) |
| Type species | |
| Thelephora terrestris Ehrh. (1787) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Thelephora is a genus of fungi in the family Thelephoraceae. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 50 species.[2] Fruit bodies of species are leathery, usually brownish at maturity, and range in shape from coral-like tufts to having distinct caps. Almost all species in the genus are thought to be inedible,[3] but Thelephora ganbajun is a gourmet fungus in Yunnan province of southwest China.[4]
The generic name is derived from the Greek thele (θηλή) meaning nipple and phorus meaning bearing.[5] Species in the genus are commonly known as "fiber fans" and "fiber vases".[3]
Some Thelephora species are known to accumulate or even hyperaccumulate trace elements in fruit-bodies. Thelephora penicillata hyperaccumulates cadmium and arsenic.[6]
