History of Thai Mycology and Resolution of Taxonomy for Thai Macrofungi Confused with Europe and American Names

Abstract

Fungi are a diverse eukaryotic group that is distributed throughout the world. Many mycologists have identified Thailand as a hot spot for the discovery of novel macrofungal taxa. Currently, a combination of morphological and molecular data is required for correct macrofungal identification. Traditionally, Thai macrofungi have been studied and described based on morphological characteristics. Many species of fungi have been linked to native species that had previously been identified in America and Europe. These have been included on checklists that have come to be regularly cited in many published scientific studies. However, some of these determinations are now in doubt and cannot be confirmed due to a lack of comprehensive herbarium material, fully accurate descriptions, and molecular data. Since 2005, Thai macrofungi research has greatly expanded and the identification process has significantly improved by employing molecular approaches. Many new macrofungal taxa and records have been discovered and described based on existing morphological and molecular data. This paper will briefly review the history of Thai mycology and the current status of Thai macrofungi research. Moreover, the identification of ten genera, namely Agaricus, Amanita, Astraeus, Chlorophyllum, Clitopilus, Daldinia, Ganoderma, Phlebopus, Pluteus, and Volvariella, has been updated and a new accurate list will be established based on the collection, description, and molecular data obtained from Thai native specimens.