Porioides

Porioides is an obsolete taxonomic grouping formerly used in mycology to classify a particular type of basidiomycete fungi. The term was historically applied to fungi characterized by a poroid hymenophore, meaning they produce spores on the inner surface of tubes or pores, rather than on gills or smooth surfaces. These fungi are commonly referred to as polypores or bracket fungi.

The classification Porioides is no longer considered a valid scientific classification due to advancements in phylogenetic analyses using molecular data. Modern classification schemes rely on evolutionary relationships determined through DNA sequencing, which has demonstrated that fungi with poroid hymenophores are not a monophyletic group (i.e., they do not all share a single common ancestor). Instead, poroid forms have evolved independently in several different lineages within the Basidiomycota.

Therefore, the term Porioides has been superseded by more accurate and phylogenetically-informed classifications. Fungi that were once grouped within Porioides are now distributed across various orders and families based on their genetic relationships. While the term poroid remains a useful descriptive term to describe the morphology of the fruiting body, it no longer implies a specific taxonomic relationship.