|
TAXONOMY |
Taxonomy is at the core of a mycological club.
Without experienced members who can place a name, albeit a changing one, on a fungi, novices might not be able to learn more about the fungi that they find, either using a field guide or online resources. How can one distinguish between an edible mushroom from its poisonous look-a-like? Is the species mycorrhizal? If so, to what tree species? Does one need to do microscopic analysis of spores, setae, etc. to determine a species name?
The field of taxonomy goes way beyond just placing a name on a mushroom. Taxonomists are trying to fit fungi into evolutionary clades, a group of biological taxa (such as species) that includes all descendants of one common ancestor. Modern day taxonomists, utilizing DNA Analysis, are still determining which American species should be using the same name as those in Europe. New species are still being discovered.
Most members are only concerned about learning how to identify a mushroom to genus, and then to species. Names change and then change back. It is confusing, but it is an exciting time to be in mycology.
In this section, we share some informative articles, but can not possibly cover all that is happening in fungal taxonomy.
Without experienced members who can place a name, albeit a changing one, on a fungi, novices might not be able to learn more about the fungi that they find, either using a field guide or online resources. How can one distinguish between an edible mushroom from its poisonous look-a-like? Is the species mycorrhizal? If so, to what tree species? Does one need to do microscopic analysis of spores, setae, etc. to determine a species name?
The field of taxonomy goes way beyond just placing a name on a mushroom. Taxonomists are trying to fit fungi into evolutionary clades, a group of biological taxa (such as species) that includes all descendants of one common ancestor. Modern day taxonomists, utilizing DNA Analysis, are still determining which American species should be using the same name as those in Europe. New species are still being discovered.
Most members are only concerned about learning how to identify a mushroom to genus, and then to species. Names change and then change back. It is confusing, but it is an exciting time to be in mycology.
In this section, we share some informative articles, but can not possibly cover all that is happening in fungal taxonomy.
Fungal Diversity Survey (FungDis, formerly, the Mycoflora project). Dried samples of vouchered specimens are sent in for DNA Analysis. The specimens are then stored in a herbarium for use by mycologists and other researchers.
NJMA's project name is MycoFlora of New Jersey.
NJMA's project name is MycoFlora of New Jersey.
- DNA ANALYSIS OF FUNGI – NOT QUITE “KITCHEN CHEMISTRY - Article in NJMA News 44-4
- Christian Schwarz (California) - videos Mycology into the 21st Century and DNA Sequencing & Citizen Science
- Agarics & Agaricales- listing of accepted names, in pdf and spreadsheet forms, and a graphical tree showing placement of genera into Families, Orders, etc., based on the genetic data.
- New Chanterelle Species - 2013 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWLC)
- Setting the Record Straight on North American Cantharellus - 2016
- Desarmillaria caespitosa, a North American vicariant of D. tabescens (Honey Mushroom) - Mycologia 2021
- Two new species of Fistulina from the Northern Hemisphere - F. americana vs F. hepatica - 2022
Last Updated 2022-12-15
