Phylogenetic relationships were investigated among North American species of Laetiporus, Leptoporus, Phaeolus, Pycnoporellus and Wolfiporia using ITS, nuclear large subunit and mitochondrial small subunit rDNA sequences. Members of these genera have poroid hymenophores, simple septate hyphae and cause brown rots in a variety of substrates. Analyses indicate that Laetiporus and Wolfiporia are no...

BACKGROUND Spore discharge in the majority of the 30,000 described species of Basidiomycota is powered by the rapid motion of a fluid droplet, called Buller's drop, over the spore surface. In basidiomycete yeasts, and phytopathogenic rusts and smuts, spores are discharged directly into the airflow around the fungal colony. Maximum discharge distances of 1-2 mm have been reported for these fungi...

A considerable amount of data has been published on the accumulation radiocaesium (134Cs and particularly, 137Cs) in wild fungi since first anthropogenically influenced releases into environment due to nuclear weapon testing, usage subsequently from major accidents at power plants Chernobyl (1986) Fukushima (2011). Wild are particularly susceptible contamination persists for decades after pollu...