The Aphelariaceae are a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of fungi in the order

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

 Cantharellales

Cantharellales

The Cantharellales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order includes not only the chanterelles , but also some of the tooth fungi , clavarioid fungi , and corticioid fungi...

. The family contains a small group of tropical and subtropical clavarioid fungi

Clavarioid fungi

The clavarioid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota typically having erect, simple or branched basidiocarps that are formed on the ground, on decaying vegetation, or on dead wood. They are colloquially called club fungi and coral fungi...

, but is not well characterized and has not been the subject of published research.

Taxonomy

The family was described in 1970 by British mycologist E.J.H. Corner to accommodate species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of club and coral fungi

Clavarioid fungi

The clavarioid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota typically having erect, simple or branched basidiocarps that are formed on the ground, on decaying vegetation, or on dead wood. They are colloquially called club fungi and coral fungi...

 that were similar to species in the Clavariaceae

Clavariaceae

The Clavariaceae are a family of fungi in the Agaricales order of mushrooms. The family contains 7 genera and 120 species. Collectively, they are commonly known as coral fungi due to their resemblance to aquatic coral, although other vernacular names including antler fungi, finger fungi, worm mold,...

, but whose context hyphae were uninflated. As well as the genus Aphelaria, Corner included the small genera Corticirama

Corticirama

Corticirama is a genus of fungi in the family Corticiaceae. The genus contains two species found in Europe....

, Phaeoaphelaria, and Tumidapexus within the Aphelariaceae. No research has been published on the family, though several standard reference works have recognized the Aphelariaceae, placed it within the order Cantharellales, and moved the genus Corticirama elsewhere, though the basis for these dispositions is unclear.

Habitat and distribution

Members of the Aphelariaceae (excluding Corticirama) are terrestrial and typically found in woodland, but it is not known whether they are saprotrophic (litter-rotting) or ectomycorrhizal. Just over 20 species are currently placed within the family, most of them from the tropics and subtropics, extending southwards into temperate

Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...

regions (New Zealand).