Phylogeny of Podofomes trogii reveals its relationships with Datronia in the Polyporaceae (Basidiomycota)

Abstract

[EN]The monotypic genus Podofomes, with the species Podofomes trogii, is a stipitate polypore with annual, reniform to infundibuliform pilei with a black crust, concentrically zonate, irregularly decurrent pores, a trimitic hyphal system, clamped generative hyphae, absence of cystidial elements, and ellipsoid, smooth, non-reacting in Melzer’s reagent basidiospores. It is a rare species growing specifically on roots of Abies spp., causing a white rot, and distributed in Central and Southern Europe and in the Caucasus. To date, phylogenetic relationships are unknown, and the species was related, based on morphology, to the polypore genus Ischnoderma. The present phylogeny, based on ITS analyses, recovers Podofomes trogii among other species of Datronia and close to its generic type Datronia mollis. We provide a complete description of the species with comments on its distribution and habitat, and notes on the taxonomy of the genus.