Serpula himantioides Serpula himantioides Serpula himantioides is a species of fungus that causes damage to timber referred to as dry rot. It is a basidiomycete in the order Boletales. It has been found on all continents except for Antarctica. Recent molecular work demonstrates that "S. himantioides" is a species complex including multiple cryptic lineages. The fungus was first described in 1818 by Elias Magnus Fries as "Merulius himantioides". Petter Karsten transferred it to the genus "Serpula" in 1884. "Serpula himantioides" is a fungal pathogen within the division Basidiomycota. It produces thin, resupinate (inverted), membranous fan-like basidiocarps that are brownish in color and
Serpula the mouth. While they are primarily feeding structures, the radioles also serve as respiratory organs. The radioles of different "Serpula" species are typically red, pink, or orange in color, with white transverse bands. Astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment, is responsible for the bright red color of the crown of "S. vermicularis". There are usually about 40 radioles in an adult. One of these radioles, called an "operculum", is a highly specialized structure located on the dorsal part of the head. The operculum consists of a long, thick stalk with a cartilaginous, cone-shaped plug at the distal end. This plug can be