XVI International Botanical Congess

Traditionally, mycologists have relied on hymenophore architecture as an integral part of classification schemes and for phylogenetic inference. Members of the Laschia complex are primarily tropical mushrooms with a poroid hymenophore which lack clear phylogenetic affinities with other fungi. We have evaluated various phylogenetic hypotheses for these fungi utilizing phylogenetic analysis of sequence data from the nrDNA locus. Analyses were conducted with a large data set (>600 taxa) including members of the Agaricales, Boletales, and Aphyllophorales. Results indicate that the poroid genera of the Laschia complex are polyphyletic and included within the Agaricales. These data indicate that the poroid hymenophore architecture was independently derived in several lineages of gilled mushrooms and it is a poor indicator of phylogenetic relationships.