Penicillium Crustosum and P. Simplicissimum, the Correct Names for two Common Species Producing Tremorgenic Mycotoxins

SUMMARY

Reports in the literature have used the names Penicillium cyclopium, P. verrucosum var. cyclopium, P. palitans and P. crustosum for isolates producing the tremorgenic mycotoxin penitrem A. Producers of verruculogen, another tremorgenic mycotoxin, have been reported as P. verruculosum, P. paraherquei, P. piscarium and P. estinogenum. From comparative taxonomic studies, it is concluded that all of the isolates involved belong to only two species: those producing penitrem A to P. crustosum and those producing verruculogen to P. simplicissimum. Descriptions are provided of these two common and consistently toxigenic species, which have often been misidentified in the recent literature.