Cotylidia is a fungal genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 characterized by small to moderately sized, white to palely- yet brightly-colored, stalked, fan-shaped to funnel-shaped fruitbodies http://www.uoguelph.ca/~gbarron/BRACKET/cotylidi.htmhttp://www.fungaljungal.org/family_pages/Cotylidia.htm with a smooth to wrinkled hymenium

Hymenium

The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some cells develop into sterile cells called cystidia or...

, tissues composed of monomitic hyphae, basidia producing smooth, nonamyloid spores, the absence of clamp connection

Clamp connection

A clamp connection is a structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is created to ensure each septum, or segment of hypha separated by crossed walls, receives a set of differing nuclei, which are obtained through mating of hyphae of differing sexual types...

s, and bearing projecting cylindrical, thin-walled, hymenial cystidia. The genus is classified in the Hymenochaetales

Hymenochaetales

The Hymenochaetales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order in its current sense is based on molecular research and not on any unifying morphological characteristics. According to one 2008 estimate, the Hymenochaetales contain around 600 species worldwide, mostly corticioid...

, however the type species

Type species

In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...

, C. undulata has not yet been sequenced

DNA sequencing

DNA sequencing includes several methods and technologies that are used for determining the order of the nucleotide bases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine—in a molecule of DNA....

. Phylogenetically

Phylogenetics

In biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices...

-related agaricoid fungi to the two species of Cotylidia thus far sequenced are in the genera Rickenella

Rickenella

Rickenella is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology. They inhabit mosses on mossy soils, peats, tree trunks and logs in temperate regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres...

, Contumyces

Contumyces

Contumyces is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology, and therefore were previously classified in Omphalina. They inhabit mossy silty or sandy soils in the Northern Hemisphere...

, Gyroflexus

Gyroflexus

A monotypic genus with a yellowish-ivory colored omphalinoid agaric in the Hymenochaetales that grows on living Sphagnum Phylogenetically related agarics are in the genera Rickenella, Blasiphalia, Loreleia, Cantharellopsis and Contumyces, as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera Muscinupta and ...

, Loreleia

Loreleia

Loreleia is a genus of brightly colored agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology. They inhabit mosses and or liverworts on soil in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...

, Cantharellopsis

Cantharellopsis

Cantharellopsis is a tan- to whitish-colored bryophilous monotypic genus in the Agaricales. The fruit bodies of the single species Cantharellus prescottii has a form intermediate between an Omphalina and a chanterelle because of its forked, fold-like gills. It inhabits moss on calcareous soils in...

and Blasiphalia

Blasiphalia

Blasiphalia is a monotypic genus with a honey colored omphalinoid agaric in the Hymenochaetales that grows with the liverwort genus Blasia Phylogenetically related agarics are in the genera Rickenella, Gyroflexus, Loreleia, Cantharellopsis and Contumyces, as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera...

, and Muscinupta

Muscinupta

Muscinupta is a fungal genus that produces small white delicate fan-shaped to cupulate fruitbodies on mosses. It is monotypic, containing the single species Muscinupta laevis...

and the clavarioid

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...

 genus, Alloclavaria

Alloclavaria

Alloclavaria is a clavarioid genus in the Hymenochaetales recently segregated from Clavaria by molecular analysis. Phylogenetically related fungi are in the agaricoid genera Rickenella, Contumyces, Gyroflexus, Loreleia, Cantharellopsis and Blasiphalia, as well as the stipitate stereoid genera...

.

The ecological status of Cotylidia remains unresolved. They fruit on soil or plant debris, sometimes on burn sites or among bryophyte

Bryophyte

Bryophyte is a traditional name used to refer to all embryophytes that do not have true vascular tissue and are therefore called 'non-vascular plants'. Some bryophytes do have specialized tissues for the transport of water; however since these do not contain lignin, they are not considered to be...

s. The culture characteristics are unknown.

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from Greek and meaning "small cup" in reference to the fluted glass shape.