Melanogaster

Fungalpedia – Note 345, Melanogaster

Citation if using this entry: Khyaju et al. 2025 (in prep.) − Fungalpedia, Basidiomycota 4.

Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig. 1

Classification: Paxillaceae, Boletales, Agaricomycetidae, Agaricomycetes, Agaricomycotina, Basidiomycota, Fungi.

Melanogaster Corda (Paxillaceae, Boletales) was established in the early nineteenth century (Corda 1831) and Melanogaster tuberiformis is the type species of this genus. The characteristics of Melanogaster include gasteroid hypogeous to semi-hypogeous basidiomata, mycelial strands at the base or surface (sometimes), prosenchymatic peridium, gleba with gelatinous small chambers separated by sterile veins scattered throughout when mature, yellow to dark brown, globose, ellipsoid, pyriform, or fusiform basidiospores (Pegler et al. 1993, Trappe et al. 2009, Moreau et al. 2011, Alvarado et al. 2021, de la Fuente et al. 2021, Xu et al. 2022). Melanogaster was placed in the family Melanogastraceae and order Hymenogastrales (Zeller 1949). The family Paxillaceae and order Boletales of Basidiomycota based on molecular data (Binder and Hibbett 2006, Lacheva 2015, Xu et al. 2022). Based on the literature, they have been used for molecular identification using ITS (de la Fuente et al. 2021, Xu et al. 2022). They are distributed in Asia (only the northern hemisphere) as well as the Southern hemisphere because of an introduction of the oak trees (Quercus L.), Europe and North America (Trappe et al. 2009, de la Fuente et al. 2021). This genus is considered ectomycorrhizal and reported to form mycorrhizal status in broadleaved and conifer trees (Wang et al. 2005, Rinaldi et al. 2008, Trappe et al. 2009, Tedersoo et al. 2010, Moreau et al. 2011, Türkoğlu & Castellano 2013). According to He et al. (2019), there are 26 species worldwide. Notably, 19 of 26 species have been reported in northern temperate forests (Trappe et al. 2009). However, only a few reports are based on comprehensive taxonomic treatments, Zeller and Dodge (1936) for North American species and Wang et al. (2005) for Asia.

Type species: Melanogaster tuberiformis Corda, in Sturm, Deutschl. Fl., 3 Abt. (Pilze Deutschl.)(11): 1 (1831)

Figure 1 – Melanogaster spinisporus (BJTC FAN941-A, epitype). a Basidiomata. b basidiospores. c SEM of basidiospores. Scale bar: a = 1 cm, b = 20 µm, c = 2 µm. Redrawn from Xu et al. (2022).

References

Alvarado P, Cabero J, Moreno-Mateos D, Vizzini A. 2021 − Phylogenetic relationships among false truffle genera of Paxillaceae—Alpova, Melanogaster, Neoalpova, and Paralpova, gen. nov. Mycologia 113(4):828–841.

Binder M, Hibbett DS. 2006 − Molecular systematics and biological diversification of Boletales. Mycologia 98(6):971–981.

Castellano MA, Trappe JM, Maser Z, Maser S. 1986 − Key to spores of the genera of hypogeous fungi of North America, with reference to animal mycophagy. Mad River Press, Eureka, USA, 185 pp.

Corda ACJ. 1831 − Deutschlands Flora, Abtheilung III. Die Pilze Deutschlands 3(11):1–32.

de la Fuente JI, Martínez-González CR, Oros-Ortega I, Guevara G. 2021 − Melanogaster coccolobae sp. nov. (Paxillaceae, Boletales), a tropical hypogeous fungus from the urban areas of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Acta Botanica Mexicana 128:e1896.

He MQ, Zhao RL, Hyde KD, Begerow D et al. 2019 − Notes, outline and divergence times of Basidiomycota. Fungal Diversity 99: 105–367.

Lacheva M. 2015 − New records of Melanogaster species (Fungi, Boletales) in Bulgaria. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences 6(1):492–498.

Moreau PA, Rochet J, Richard F, Chassagne F. 2011 − Taxonomy of Alnus-associated hypogeous species of Alpova and Melanogaster (Basidiomycota, Paxillaceae) in Europe. Cryptogamie Mycologia 32(1):33–62.

Pegler DN, Spooner BM, Young TWK. 1993 − British truffles: a revision of British hypogeous fungi. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. London, UK:216 pp.

Rinaldi AC, Comandini O, Kuyper TW. 2008 − Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity: separating the wheat from the chaff. Fungal Diversity 33:1–45.

Tedersoo L, May TW, Smith ME. 2010 − Ectomycorrhizal lifestyle in fungi: global diversity, distribution, and evolution of phylogenetic lineages. Mycorrhiza 20:217–263.