History Platygloea was proposed in 1887 by German
mycologist Joseph Schröter for fungi with auricularioid (tubular and laterally septate) basidia and effused, waxy or gelatinous fruit bodies. Three species were included:
Platygloea nigricans (now
Platygloea disciformis);
P. fimicola (now
Cystobasidium fimetarium); and
P. effusa (now
Colacogloea effusa). Subsequent authors referred additional species to
Platygloea. In a 1956 paper, American mycologist
Robert Bandoni recognized 23 names in the genus. He considered
Platygloea to be "a heterogeneous assortment of species" that "may be divided into several more consistent genera when better known". Austrian mycologist
F.X.R. von Höhnel claimed that
Achroomyces was an older name for the genus, a synonymy considered dubious by some but adopted by the influential Dutch mycologist
M.A. Donk in 1958. As a result, additional species have also been described in
Achroomyces.
Current status As predicted by Robert Bandoni,
Platygloea has been divided into several new genera, including
Colacogloea,
Naohidea, and
Occultifur, all of which were originally differentiated by their micromorphology or
ultrastructure. Their status as
monophyletic (natural) genera has been confirmed by
molecular research, based on
cladistic analysis of
DNA sequences. This research has also confirmed that
Platygloea sensu stricto is monophyletic, based on the type species,
Platygloea disciformis. The genus may be
monotypic (restricted to the type species), since according to German mycologist
Franz Oberwinkler P. disciformis is "taxonomically isolated" and "closely related species are not known". ==References==