Iodophanus carneus and I. testaceus (Ascomycota-Pezizales): Independent taxonomic identity or synonymy? A study of their morphology and isozymes

the aim of this study was to delimit two iodophanus species: i. carneus and i. testaceus , based on morphological characteristics and electrophoretic patterns of their intracellular isozymes. twenty monosporic strains were used, including five belonging to i. granulipolaris as a control. fourteen isozyme systems were tested, and the five having the best resolution selected: aspartate aminotransferase, esterases, alkaline phosphatase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and superoxide dismutase. these analyses confirmed the similarity between i. carneus and i. testaceus , since they both produced the same band patterns, which were in turn different from the band pattern of i. granulipolaris. so, as we couldn′t find any character wich permit us to classify the isolated studied during this work in defferent species, we believe that i. testaceus shoul be consider as a synonym of i. carneus .