Fungi of the Greater Antilles

Over 20 researchers and cooperators were enlisted to produce a survey of the basidiomycetes of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. This included all basidiomycetes except rusts and smuts. These islands in the Greater Antilles were chosen for this survey for several reasons. There was previously very limited documentation on macrobasidiomycete diversity for these islands, although recent studies had shown that at least 15% of the species were undescribed. This project complemented previous and ongoing surveys in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. The information gained from this project will ultimately help us to understand differences in colonization and rates of speciation among different groups of basidiomycetes in island chains. The investigators in this project discovered at least 75 new species and varieties so far, as well as several new genera (Pegler et al. 1998; Samuels & Lodge 1996) and one possible new family or order (see 'Aliens' under GENUS). Various cooperators have graciously provided identification of ascomycetes, myxomycetes, and mitosporic fungi, which are also included in the database.