Entoloma subg. Leptonia

Related on Lably

Lab · Class 11Biological Classification — Animated Chapter Film Lab · Class 11Five Kingdoms of Life Lab · Class 8Microorganisms Explorer Lab · Class 6–8The Science of Cooking

Taxonomy

Leptonia was introduced in 1821 by the Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries as a "tribe" of Agaricus comprising small, slender agarics with convex to flat caps and pink spores. In 1871 German mycologist Paul Kummer raised the tribe to genus level.

Recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, has shown that Leptonia, as previously defined, was paraphyletic (an artificial grouping). By excluding species unrelated to the type, however, Leptonia has been redefined as a monophyletic (natural) grouping. In this new sense, Leptonia has so far been treated as a subgenus of Entoloma.

The redefined Leptonia is substantially smaller than before and excludes Entoloma cyanulum, Entoloma serrulatum, and related species (now placed in subgenus Cyanula), Entoloma cocles and related species (now placed in subgenus Griseorubida), and Entoloma watsonii and related species (now placed in subgenus Rhamphocystotae).

More in Plants

Molecular phylogeneticsBranch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences MicrometreUnit of length; one millionth of a metre PerennialPlant that lives for more than two years DeciduousPlants that shed leaves seasonally Gram-negative bacteriaGroup of bacteria that do not retain the Gram stain used in bacterial differentiation LegumePlants in the family Fabaceae