Irpex lacteus
Species of fungus / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Irpex lacteus is a common crust fungus distributed throughout temperate areas of the world. It is the type of the genus Irpex. Irpex lacteus is considered a polypore, but depending on growth conditions it can also produce a hydnoid hymenophore. Due to this variability and abundance of the species it has been described as a new species to science numerous times and subsequently has an extensive synonymy. The complete genome sequence of Irpex lacteus was reported in 2017.[1]
Irpex lacteus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Basidiomycota |
Class: | Agaricomycetes |
Order: | Polyporales |
Family: | Irpicaceae |
Genus: | Irpex |
Species: | I. lacteus |
Binomial name | |
Irpex lacteus (Fr.) Fr. (1828) | |
Irpex lacteus is a white-rot fungus that inhabits mainly angiosperm branches and trunks.[2] It is one of the most common wood-rotting fungi for instance in urban North America. It is inedible.[3] The fungus has been identified as a cause of pulmonary infections in immuno-compromised humans.[4]