About Irpex lacteus (Fr.) Fr.
Irpex lacteus (Fr.) Fr. is a common crust fungus that is distributed across temperate regions worldwide, and it is the type species of the genus Irpex. It is classified as a polypore, but it can also develop a hydnoid hymenophore depending on its growth conditions. Because of this morphological variability and the species' widespread abundance, it has repeatedly been described as a new species to science, resulting in an extensive synonymy. The complete genome sequence of Irpex lacteus was published in 2017. Irpex lacteus is a white-rot fungus that grows primarily on the branches and trunks of angiosperms. It is counted among the most common wood-rotting fungi, for example, in urban North America. It is classified as inedible, and this fungus has been identified as an agent that causes pulmonary infections in immunocompromised humans.
