The genus Lentinus (Basidiomycetes) from India-an annotated checklist

An annotated checklist of species of genus Lentinu s has been presented in this paper. On scrutiny of the latest authentic literature and mycobank record, out of a total of 41 documented species from India, 20 were found to be valid species while 21 were invalid species which were found to be synonyms.

Genus Lentinus Fr. belongs to class Agaricomycetes, family Polyporaceae and recognized by 40 species the world over (Kirk et al. 2008). Recent molecular studies have shown that many genera and families belonging to the Polyporales are poly-and/or paraphyletic (Hibbett & Vilgalys 1991;Justo & Hibbett 2011;Miettinen et al. 2011;Sjökvist et al. 2012;Binder et al. 2013). Genus Lentinus is characterized by xeromorphic tough carpophores having gills with serrated margins (Pegler 1977;Singer 1986). The fruit bodies of Lentinus are typically lignicolous and have a widespread distribution, especially in subtropical regions (Pegler 1977). The genus can be distinguished by its dimitichyphal system with either skeletal or binding hyphae along with generative hyphae and firm and persistent texture. Hyphal pegs, fascicles of sterile hyphae coming out from the hymenium surface, are some of the common features present in some genera of the Polyporaceae and in Lentinus subgenus. This genus also shares these features with other genera of the family Polyporaceae (Corner 1981;Pegler 1983;Singer 1986). From India 40 species have been documented from time to time (Butler & Bisby 1931;Vasudeva 1960;Bilgrami et al. 1979;Purkayastha & Chandra 1985;Manimohan & Leelavathy 1995;Sarbhoy et al. 1996;Jamaluddin et al. 2004;Manimohan et al. 2004;Kumar & Manimohan 2005;Natarajan et al. 2005). However, several species placed in the previous checklists are synonyms and do not exist as independent species. A revised checklist of valid species and species recommended for exclusion from the Indian record of Lentinus is given in this paper.
Materials and Methods: The present checklist has been prepared by consulting authenticated literature and monographs (Pegler 1983;Singer 1986), previous checklists (Manjula, 1983), MycoBank records and Index Fungorum.
Fries (1838) documented its occurrence from India. As pointed out by Pegler (1983), it was the earliest species described from Oriental India with a very brief original description for which neither type nor any other material is available. It is a valid species in MycoBank.
Lentinus connatus Berk. Hooker Journ. Bot. 1(3): 145 (1842). Bose (1920) documented this species on dead wood from Howrah (West Bengal). It is a valid species and was also documented from time to time from different localities including Dehradun in Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand), Maharashtra and Assam by different workers (Manjula 1983;Pegler 1983).
Lentinus velutinus Fr. Linn.5 : 510 (1830). Currey (1874) and Lloyd (1904Lloyd ( -1919 documented the occurrence of this species from Bengal in India. Pegler (1983) in his World monograph on Lentinus reported its occurrence from Dehradun in Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand) and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu. Berkeley (1851) described this species as L. hookerianus Berk. from Darjeeling in West Bengal, Banerjee (1943) described it as L. blepharodes Berk. from Calcutta (now Kolkatta) and Hennings (1900) Lloyd (1904Lloyd ( -1919 for the first time from India. Manjula (1983) listed it as synonym of L. crinitus Berk. and recommended the exclusion of L. vellosus Klotzsch from the Indian records. However, L. crinitus Berk. has been listed as synonym of L. swartzii Berk. by Pegler (1983). L. vellosus Klotzsch being a valid species stands restored to the list of Indian species of Lentinus Fr. It exists as a legitimate species in the MycoBank.
This species was reported to occur in Trichur (Kerela) by Pegler (1983) and Pathak & Gupta (1982) from Uttar Pradesh. It exists as a legitimate species in the World Monograph of Lentinus by Pegler (1983). It exists as a valid species in MycoBank.
(Berk.) Berk. from Darjeeling (West Bengal), Khasia Hills (Sikkim) and Manipur in India which accounts for its valid documentation. This is a valid species in MycoBank.
Lentinus sajor-caju (Fr.) Fr. Epicrisis Syst. Mycol. 393 (1838). Pegler (1983) in his World monograph on Lentinus has listed its occurrence from seram in West Bengal and Assam. Bose (1920) documented it on dead wood from Hoogly District of West Bengal. Butler & Bisby (1960) in Fungi of India have also reported its occurrence from southern Andaman Islands (Cooke described it as L. exilis Klotzsch from Annamalai in Kerala) (Image 1).
It is one of the most widely distributed species in India which has been documented from a number of localities including Madras (Natarajan & Manjula 1978) (now Chennai), Khandala, Maharashtra by Theissen (1911) as L. subnudus Berk., Calcutta (Kolkatta) in West Bengal by Bose (1920) as L. subnudus Berk. and Banerjee (1947) 8: 302 (1913). Lloyd (1898Lloyd ( -1925 documented it from India. L. candidus Graff. has been treated as the synonym of L. conatus Berk. by Pegler (1983). In view of this Manjula (1983) deleted it from Indian record. However, in MycoBank's opinion this species is currently in use and is a valid species.
This species was documented from Raj Mahal Hills (North Bengal) by Currey (1874). Although L. glabratus Mont. is a valid species but the collection assigned to L. glabratus Mont. from India has been assigned to L. squarrosulus Mont. (Pegler 1983;Manjula 1983). However, in MycoBank's opinion, this species is currently in use and hence is a valid species for inclusion in Indian records.
Berkeley (1856) documented it from Darjeeling on dead wood. Lloyd (1904Lloyd ( -1919  Banerjee (1947) reported it from Calcutta (now Kolkatta) (West Bengal) on dead wood. Pegler (1983) recognized this species as a synonym of L. squarrosulus Mont. as a consequence of which Manjula (1983) recommended this species for exclusion from the Indian record. In MycoBank's opinion it exists as the synonym of L. squarrosulus.

Image 2. Lentinus cladopus
In view of this the species stands deleted from the Indian records (Manjula 1983).
From India Pegler (1983) has listed its occurrence from Changa-Chellingin Sikkim; Manipur; Khasi hills of Assam; Tistabridge in Hora and Darjeeling in West Bengal. It is a synonym of L. badius (Pegler, 1983) which was described by Berkeley (1854) as L. inquinans Berk. because of which it stands excluded from the Indian list of Lentinus species (Manjula 1983). In MycoBank records this species exists as a synonym of L. badius (Berk.) Berk.
Its occurrence has been documented from Dehradun in Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand), Assam and Bombay (now Mumbai) in Maharashtra by Pegler (1983) in his World monograph. L. javanicusLév. is an invalid species which is listed as the synonym of L. conatus Berk. In view of its present status L. javanicus Lév. has been excluded from the Indian records (Manjula 1983). This species exists as the synonym of L. conatus Berk. in MycoBank record.
Lentinus lecomtei Fr. Syst. Orb. Veg. 77 (1825). Berkeley (1851Berkeley ( , 1876 reported it from Tonglo in Sikkim Himalaya and Gulmarg in Kashmir, Darjeeling in West Bengal. It is also reported from Ootacamund in Tamil Nadu (Pegler 1983). All the above collections of L. lecomtei Fr. have been identified to be those of L. strigosus Fr., in view of which L. lecomtei Fr. stands excluded from Indian records (Manjula 1983). In MycoBank, this species is recognized as a synonym of L. strigosus Fr.
Its occurrence has been listed from India on Shorea rubusta Gaertn. from Bilaspur in Madhya Pradesh by Hennings (1901). Manjula (1983) recognized it to be a synonym of L. velutinus Fr. however, Pegler (1983) in his world monograph on Lentinus listed it in the list of synonym of L. ciliates Lév.
Lentinus strigosus Fr. Sys. Orb. Veg. 77 (1825). Murrill (1924) and Watling & Gregory (1980) documented it from Sonamarg (Kashmir). Abraham (1991) reported it from Kashmir. It is also known from number of other localities in India (Pegler 1983 Pegler (1983) has also listed a collection from Calcutta (now Kolkatta) in his World monograph. Although a validly described species, Manjula (1983) listed L. hookerianus as synonym of L. velutinus Fr. and recommended its exclusion from the Indian record. This species is now exists as a Lentinus blepharodes Berk. Jour. Lin. Soc. Bot. 10: 301 (1869). Lloyd (1904Lloyd ( -1919 recorded it from Botanic Gardens of Saharnpur in Uttar Pradesh and Banerjee recorded it on dead trees of Cocosnucifera from Calcutta (now Kolkatta) in West Bengal. Pilát in Index of Fungi by Petrak (1950)  This species was enlisted from Nicobar Islands (Fries 1855). Although Manjula (1983) has recognized it as a valid species and listed it under Indian species of Lentinus Fr., however, Pegler (1983) in his World monograph on Lentinus Fr. treated L. molliceps Fr. as the synonym of L. squarrosulus Mont. In view of this L. molliceps Fr. has been excluded from the Indian records. This species exists as a synonym of L. squarrosulus Mont. in MycoBank's opinion.
Lentinus nepalensis Berk. Hooker Journ. Bot. and Kew Misc. 6: 131 (1854) It was recorded by Berkeley (1856) from Nangki in East Nepal. It was not documented from any part of India. This is not a valid species and is a synonym of L. velutinusFr. (Pegler1983; Manjula 1983). In view of its present status L. nepalensis Berk. stands deleted from the Indian records. In MycoBank's opinion it exists as a synonym of L. velutinus Fr.
It has been recorded to grow on rotten trunks in Nicobar Islands (Petch 1916). This is not a valid species. Pegler (1983) and Manjula (1983)  It has been listed from India by Lèvèillè (1846). Its type at Paris has been marked as ''Herb. De Candole, Indes'' (Butler & Bisby 1960). Manjula (1983) treated L. pergameneus Lév as a valid species and recognized its type documented by Lèvèillè (1846) as an authentic record. Contrary to the treatment of Manjula (1983), in his World monograph of Lentinus, Pegler (1983) relegated it to the status of a synonym of L. squarrosulus Mont. In view of this L. pergameneus Lév. stands excluded from the Indian records. This species exists as a synonym of L. squarrosulus Mont. in MycoBank record.
It has been reported from Sone River in Bihar by Berkeley (1856), on logs of Shorea robusta Gaertn. by Banerjee (1947) from Calcutta (now Kolkatta) in West Bengal and on Terminalia paniculata Roth. and Vateria indica Linn. (Anonymous 1950). This is not a valid species. Pegler (1983) treated this species as the synonym of Lentinus polychrous Lév which has been documented from Chota Nagpur (Maharashtra); Bankwara and Calcutta (now Kolkatta) (West Bengal) and Nanda Hills (Andhra Pradesh) in India. Manjula (1983) recognized L. polychrous Lév instead of L. praerigidus Berk. In Mycobank's opinion this species is a synonym of L. polychrous Lév.
Cooke (1881) recorded it from Andaman Islands on fallen stumps of Cocos nucifera L. and on stumps of dead trees. Lloyd (1898Lloyd ( -1925 and Banerjee (1947) reported it from Calcutta (now Kolkatta) in West Bengal. Pegler (1983) enlisted Lentinus revelatus as the synonym of L. conatus Berk. In view of the above L. revelatus stands excluded from the Indian records (Manjula 1983). It exists as a synonym of L. conatus in MycoBank record.
Conclusions: Upon scrutiny, there are a total of 20 valid species of genus Lentinus encountered from India and 21 species are synonyms of these valid species as described as legitimate species in previous checklists.