Abstract
Polypore fungi are the main group of wood-decaying basidiomycetes that have significant roles in biomass recycling in woodland ecosystems. These fungi are under focus for their potential use as food and medicine, and for biotechnological applications. However, the species diversity and phylogenetic positions of Asian polypores have not been fully revealed. This article reviews the taxonomic studies on Asian polypores in Auriculariales and Polyporales of Basidiomycota by the author. As a result of taxonomic studies of Asian polypores in Auriculariales, it was revealed that Elmerina was a polyphyletic, and it was concluded that Aporpium and Protodaedalea should be retained as genera distinct from Elmerina. Moreover, a new species of Aporpium and two new combinations of Aporpium and Protodaedalea were proposed. According to the results of taxonomic studies on polypores in Polyporales, Melanoderma boninense was described as a new species from Bonin Islands, Japan, and the morphological examination of authentic specimens of other Melanoderma species revealed that the genus is variable in terms of the shape and size of cystidioles. A new species, Polyporus thailandensis was described from Thailand, and P. ciliatus was newly reported from Japan based on phylogenetic and morphological evidence. Species of Aporpium, Protodaedalea and Melanoderma in Japan are reviewed and listed in this article.
