Serpula lacrymans Serpula lacrymans Serpula lacrymans is one of the fungi that cause damage to timber referred to as dry rot. It is a basidiomycete in the order Boletales. The species was first described under the name "Boletus lacrymans" by Franz Xavier von Wulfen in 1781. It was transferred to the genus "Serpula" by Petter Karsten in 1884. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words "serpula" for "creeping" (as in a serpent) and "lacrymans", meaning "making tears". "Serpula lacrymans" has a preference for temperatures of but can survive any temperature from . It is not clear how much light is
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