ABSTRACT: In the search for taxonomic characters, cultural characteristics of six strains belonging to five species of Gymnopilus were studied. Strains of Neolentinus suffrutescens (brown-rot) and Trametes versicolor (white-rot) were included for comparison. The presence of phenol oxidases and the ability to grow in cellulose and lignin media were also assayed. We found that some micromorphological characteristics of the strains, such as size and form of arthrospores and other specialized elements have the potential to be useful as taxonomic characters. Gymnopilus has been recorded as a brown-rot or white-rot genus according to the particular species studied; all the species studied here are mainly cellulose decomposers, but also have the ability to decay lignin to a certain extent.

KEYWORDS: brown-rot, white-rot, Neolentinus, Trametes

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