Department of Biology

International Russulales workshop

Every two years we organize a Russulales workshop in a different country, we go to Spain in 2026!

Who are we?

Mieke Verbeken, Research Group Mycology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
and Slavomír Adamčík, Laboratory of Molecular Ecology and Mycology, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia,
in close collaboration with experts and organizers in the involved country.

This year's organizer in Spain will be Manuel Plaza Canales.

2024 group

In September 2024 we went to Estonia, with this group of researchers, read more here.

Russulales

With the integration of molecular and ecological data alongside traditional morphological characteristics, scientists now recognize the Russulales as an order displaying remarkable diversity in morphology. This order consists of nine families, with about 4500 known species in total (and this number keeps increasing!), making it one of the largest orders in Basidiomycota. Beyond the classic agaricoid and gasteroid fruiting bodies, this group exhibits a spectrum of forms including resupinate, clavarioid, refused-reflex, pileate, and discoid structures. A defining feature of this clade is the presence of amyloid spores and the occurrence of gloeocystidia or a gloeoplerous hyphal system.

 

Russulales are fungi of different forms, here are classified hydnoid Auriscalpium vulgare and Hericium spp. with spiny hymenophores, clavaroid Artomyces pyxidatus, polypore Bondarzewia mesenterica and resupinate Boidinia furfuracea.

The core of the order is the Russulaceae family with the bulk of the representatives belonging to four agaricoid genera. The largest genus is Russula (brittlegils, without milk) with an estimated 3000 species. The milk cap genera are Lactifluus (a bot more than 200 species accepted, 530 species estimated) and Lactarius (c. 450 species accepted, c. 1000 species estimated). The smallest genus Multifurca only contains about 10 known species and has a limited distribution. But Russula, Lactarius and Lactifluus occur world-wide, from arctic to tropical areas and are key-players in almost all ecosystems because of the ectomycorrhizal associations they form. Above ground as well as below ground analyses reveal them to be one of the most important ECM groups, among dominant soil fungi in several ecosystems, especially in boreal, temperate and subtropical forests. Their typical plant partners are Betulaceae (birch, alder, poplar, hornbeam), Fagaceae (beech, oak, chestnut), conifers (spruce, pine, fir), but there is a wide variety of symbiotic trees and other plants, including some herbaceous plants. Some species are very host-specific, others have a broader host range.

In addition to hyphae, round cells are also found in the trama; they are referred to as sphaerocytes. It is because of these sphaerocytes that Russula‘s and milk caps are characterized by the easily (like chalk) crumbling, brittle flesh. Another special structure in the trama are the milk vessels or lactifers, which still effectively secrete milk in Lactarius, Lactifluus and some Multifurca species, but no longer in Russula. Microscopically, these representatives are also characterized by spores that have an amyloid decoration and by cystidia and hyphae with an oily content, called the gloeoplere hyphae and gloeocystidia.

In some representatives of Lactarius and Russula we see the transition from gymnocarpy and epigean mode of life to angiocarpy and hypogean way of life, resulting in many truffle-like representatives from this group, such as e.g. Lactarius stephensii (formerly Zelleromyces stephensii), a truffle that forms milky juice!

Our mission:

  • Bringing experts and people passionate by Russulales together to explore the Russulales world and to improve the science. Every two years, professional researchers and citizen scientists meet to communicate the current knowledge and novelties and to do fieldwork together. The Russulales workshop is the event where all Russulales enthusiasts meet to discuss and learn about diversity, biogeography, ecology, phylogeny, conservation and etnomycology.
  • Boost diversity studies in un(der)explored areas: as in all fungi, a large part of the diversity in Russulales is still undiscovered and unknown. This hidden part can be revealed by exploring new niches and habitats, but also by using new technologies to reveal hidden diversity behind species or species complexes. We do not only want to assess the diversity but also seek to unravel the ecological roles and biogeographic patterns of Russulales, contributing to our broader understanding of ecosystem dynamics and global biodiversity.
  • Encourage adoption of general and global Russulales description standards: We advocate for the use of standardized protocols and methodologies in Russulales taxonomy and description, promoting consistency and comparability across studies.
  • Sharing material and field experience: We encourage the sharing of specimens, data, and resources, facilitating access to materials essential for research and education. We provide opportunities for hands-on fieldwork and exploration, allowing researchers and enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the natural habitats of Russulales. We value firsthand experiences and expertise, recognizing the importance of both learning from others and sharing our own knowledge and insights.
  •  Make the research better: Ultimately, our goal is to advance the field of Russulales research, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and understanding to enrich scientific discourse and benefit society as a whole.

Who can participate

The Russulales workshop is for everybody all over the world who has an interest in this particular group of fungi, we welcome senior scientists, as well as early career researchers, amateur mycologists, citizen scientists and students.

Previous Meetings

Recommended Russulales publications

Registration 8th International Russulales workshop in Los Barrios, Spain (November 25-December 1, 2026)

You can register as of March 31, 2026 / Puede inscribirse a partir del 31 de marzo de 2026

The form can be filled out in English, or in Spanish, you can indicate the language in the upper right corner of the form (click the arrow to indicate your language).

El formulario se puede rellenar en inglés, o en español, se puede indicar el idioma en la esquina superior derecha del formulario (haga clic en la flecha para indicar su idioma).


Register here / Regístrate aquí or scan the QR-code to go to the form / o escanear el código QR para ir al formulario:
 

The following text is available in Spanish on the form itself(at the end), when you choose to fill out in Spanish / El siguiente texto está disponible en español en el propio formulario (al final), cuando decida rellenar en español

Please read the following text thoroughly before filling out the form :

If your form is filled out partially because of still missing (transport) information, you can SAVE it and start filling out the rest later on :
(this is only possible if you have Microsoft 365 school- or work account, or a personal account)

If you don't have a MS365 account, and you want to change something in your filled out form, you can contact Ingeborg.Borghgraef@ugent.be

  • How do I save my responses?
    Fill out every question applicable to you - Click VERZENDEN (send) - a message appears : Your response was submitted...
    CLICK THE BOX "Mijn antwoord opslaan" (save my response to edit) - a message appears : "Antwoord is opgeslagen" (answer is saved)/ Weergeven in Forms (show in Forms)
  • How do I edit them again to make changes ?
    Goto forms.office.com - Sign in - fill out your e-mail- click VOLGENDE (next) - You can see under the section RECENT that your filled out "Registration form Russulales workshop Estonia" is visible, it mentions "ingevuld formulier" (filled out form) - Click ANTWOORDEN WEERGEVEN (show answers) - Click ANTWOORDEN BEWERKEN (edit answers or pencil) - change anything you want to change (except from your name of course), and click VERZENDEN again, no need to save it again, the changes will be saved.


If you have problems filling out the form, please contact Ingeborg.Borghgraef@UGent.be

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