In recent years, the compilation and publication of lists of fungi have seen a noticeable increase; as examples, we may mention those of HJORTSTAM (1984, 1987), MELO & CARDOSO (1985), CANNON & al. (1985), PARMASTO (1986a) and YAMAMOTO (1988) among others.
The interest arisen by this activity is due, in my opinion, to two reasons: the increased use of database programs, and the rising demand of compilationsgiving quick and easy access to information otherwise dispersed or inaccessible.
The idea of preparing the present catalogue was initiated four years ago with two aims: to compile as much information as possible about the corticiaceous fungi, s. l. recorded for our country, and to establish the methodology for the creation of infrastructure — mainly in automatic data processing — with a view towards a more ambitious project, now in progress, the Iberian Mycological Flora. The Advisory Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CAICYT) funded the project — PR84-0066 — and the Royal Botanical Garden, Madrid (Scientific Research Council, C.S.I.C.) — where it was undertaken —, gave us the means and the staff to carry it through.
The author wanted to compile the catalogue of a group of fungi — the corticiaceous fungi s.l.— recorded in a limited area: peninsular Spain and the Balearic Islands, with nomenclatural, chorologic and substratum information, as well as the list of herbaria where the voucher specimens are deposited.
The definition of corticiaceous fungi 5.1. is not easy; it is a heterogeneous group, with far from clear boundaries, its contents varying widely depending on the author (cf. DONK, 1964, PARMASTO, 1986b, HJORTSTAM, 1987). If we take HJORTSTAM (1987) as the starting point, we may point out that genera such as Ceriporia Donk, Chaetoporellus Bondartsev & Singer, Gloeoporus Mont. , Irpex Fr. and Schizopora Velen., represented in our mycoflora and included by this aut- hor, have not been considered because, following DONK (1974), RYVARDEN (1976, 1978) and GILBERTSON & RYVARDEN (1986, 1987), we regard them as Polyporaceae. On the other hand, there is a group of genera such as Christiansenia Hauerslev, Cotylidia P. Karsten, Cyphellostereum Reid, Hymenochaete Lév., Pseudotomentella Svrcek, Tomentella Pat., Tomentellastrum Svrcek, Tomentel- lina HOhnel & Litsch., not included by HJORTSTAM (1987) which we have never- theless considered. To sum up our concept of corticiaceous fungi s. l. , we may state that it agrees closely with those called by JÜLICH & STALPERS (1980) resupinate non poroid Aphyllophorales, with the exception of Hymenochaete Lév., considered here but not by these authors.