Reviewing the taxonomy of Podaxis: Opportunities for understanding extreme fungal lifestyles

TY - JOUR

T1 - Reviewing the taxonomy of Podaxis

T2 - Opportunities for understanding extreme fungal lifestyles

AU - Conlon, Benjamin H.

AU - Aanen, Duur K.

AU - Beemelmanns, Christine

AU - de Beer, Z Wilhelm

AU - De Fine Licht, Henrik H.

AU - Gunde-Cimerman, Nina

AU - Schiøtt, Morten

AU - Poulsen, Michael

PY - 2019/3

Y1 - 2019/3

N2 - There are few environments more hostile and species-poor than deserts and the mounds of Nasutitermitinae termites. However, despite the very different adaptations required to survive in such extreme and different environments, the fungal genus Podaxis is capable of surviving in both: where few other fungi are reported to grow. Despite their prominence in the landscape and their frequent documentation by early explorers, there has been relatively little research into the genus. Originally described by Linnaeus in 1771, in the early 20th Century, the then ∼25 species of Podaxis were almost entirely reduced into one species: Podaxis pistillaris. Since this reduction, several new species of Podaxis have been described but without consideration of older descriptions. This has resulted in 44 recognised species names in Index Fungorum but the vast majority of studies and fungarium specimens still refer to P. pistillaris. Studies of Podaxis' extremely different lifestyles is hampered by its effective reduction to a single-species genus. Here we examine the history of the taxonomy of Podaxis before focusing on its extreme lifestyles. From this, we consider how the muddled taxonomy of Podaxis may be resolved; opening up further avenues for future research into this enigmatic fungal genus.

AB - There are few environments more hostile and species-poor than deserts and the mounds of Nasutitermitinae termites. However, despite the very different adaptations required to survive in such extreme and different environments, the fungal genus Podaxis is capable of surviving in both: where few other fungi are reported to grow. Despite their prominence in the landscape and their frequent documentation by early explorers, there has been relatively little research into the genus. Originally described by Linnaeus in 1771, in the early 20th Century, the then ∼25 species of Podaxis were almost entirely reduced into one species: Podaxis pistillaris. Since this reduction, several new species of Podaxis have been described but without consideration of older descriptions. This has resulted in 44 recognised species names in Index Fungorum but the vast majority of studies and fungarium specimens still refer to P. pistillaris. Studies of Podaxis' extremely different lifestyles is hampered by its effective reduction to a single-species genus. Here we examine the history of the taxonomy of Podaxis before focusing on its extreme lifestyles. From this, we consider how the muddled taxonomy of Podaxis may be resolved; opening up further avenues for future research into this enigmatic fungal genus.

KW - Basidiomycota

KW - Drought

KW - Extremophile

KW - Low water activity

KW - Termite

U2 - 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.01.001

DO - 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.01.001

M3 - Review

C2 - 30798873

AN - SCOPUS:85060352778

SN - 1878-6146

VL - 123

SP - 183

EP - 187

JO - Fungal Biology

JF - Fungal Biology

IS - 3

ER -