Fungalpedia – Note 2818, Onygena
Onygena. Pers.
Citation when using this data: Kandemir H et al. 2022 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank
Classification: Onygenaceae, Onygenales, Eurotiomycetidae, Eurotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
The genus Onygena contains 12 species, excluding the varieties (Index Fungorum, access date 9 February 2021). Among these species, O. lycoperdon was recorded as nomen nudum (MycoBank.org; access date 15 March 2022), O. mougeotii was recorded as a synonym of O. equina and Onygena mutata was renamed as Amauroascus mutatus (Rammeloo 1982).
There are no known type specimens or isolates for O. apus (Berkeley and Broome 1851; from decaying bones in UK), O. bommerae (Saccardo 1913; on feathers and bones of birds), O. caprina (Fuckel 1870; from a sheep horn), O. hypsipus (Ditmar 1813; on marten excretion mixed with mouse bones), O. piligena (Fries 1829; from sheep wool and murine fur) and O. ungulina (Rostrup 1894; on horse hooves). Therefore, they have been considered doubtful.
Only the specimens that were identified as O. equina, which is the type species of the family Onygenaceae determining the order Onygenales, and O. corvina are represented by herbarium specimens in collections. Since the original type materials are not known to be preserved for both species, neotypes are indicated in the present study.
Type species: Onygena equina (Willd.) Pers. 1800 (Designated by Clements & Shear, Gen. fung., Edn 2 (Minneapolis): 332. 1931).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Onygena.
References
Ditmar LPF 1813 – Deutschlands Flora. Abt. III Die Pilze Deutschlands 1(1):1–34.
Fries EM 1829 – Systema Mycologicum, vol. 3. Sumptibus Ernesti Mauritii, Greifswald.
Rostrup E 1894 – Mykologiske Meddelelser (IV). Botanisk Tidsskrift. Journal of Botany 19:44–46.
Saccardo PA 1913 – Notae Mycologicae Series XVI. Annales Mycologici 11(4):312–325.
Entry by
Hazal Kandemir, Center of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Center/Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Division of Medical Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, Adana, Turkey
Published online 25 June 2026