Rediscovering Common Species Using Molecular Biology: Stereum Ostrea (False Turkey Tail) and Its Forgotten Cousins

By Sarah Delong-Duhon

Friday, June 17 at 7 PM

Topic.   Mushrooms that look similar are not always the same species, as evidenced by an abundance of DNA studies on genera like Cantharellus, Trametes, Armillaria, and Morchella. The genus Stereum is a wood-decay fungus abundant across the globe, with many species endemic to certain regions or specific to particular host trees. In the 50s, several species of Stereum were combined under the name S. ostrea (False Turkey Tail) due to their morphological similarity, but DNA barcoding clearly shows these species to be phylogenetically distinct. DNA analysis and literature review shows S. ostrea is an East Asian species, while S. fasciatum and S. lobatum appear endemic to the Americas and S. subtomentosum is found in Northern temperate regions. Morphological analysis shows that yellow staining and cap hair texture is key for differentiating these species in North America.

Speaker:  Sarah DeLong-Duhon is a Master’s graduate from the University of Iowa, Vice President of the Prairie States Mushroom Club, and Founder of the Iowa Fungal Biodiversity Project. Her research focus is the phylogeny of Stereum, a globally common genus of wood-decay fungi. She is experienced in the field and the lab, extracting, sequencing and analyzing fungal DNA to help unravel the mysteries of fungal biodiversity and evolution.

Zoom link available to MAW members on Consortium Presentations.