Assessment Notes

Justification

Sceptrulum inflatum is a corticioid species originally described as potentially rare. There are very few records of this species and no detailed recent occurrences and little information is available. Its current distribution is therefore not clear, but potentially large. Further research is needed to define distribution limits and estimate the population size. There is some confusion over the taxonomic limits of the species, and collection records from some countries are limited to the early 20^th Century. Therefore, there is much uncertainty over the current status of the species. It could, therefore, either be Least Concern (and under-recorded) or may be rare and have undergone declines, and be highly threatened. Without further information available at this time, S. inflatum is assessed as Data Deficient.

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Taxonomic notes

This is the only species in the monotypic genus Sceptrulum. It was initially described as Peniophora inflata but can be distinguished from species in similar genera by its microscopic characteristics (Karasiński 2014). Palifer seychellensis is also considered a synonym of this species (Species Fungorum 2023), and Karasiński (2014) noted that there were small morphological differences between the two, which could be attributed to intraspecific variability. Given the geographical distance between both collections (Jamaica and Seychelles), this could support the possibility that they are distinct species. So far, no phylogenetic studies have been done on this species.

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Geographic range

The distribution limits of Sceptrulum inflatum are not clear. GBIF.org (2023) includes records of the original occurrence of S. inflatum in its type locality in Jamaica and one occurrence in Massachusetts, United States, as well as one further record for the genus Sceptrulum in Brazil (not identified to species level). Maekawa (2021) also included S. inflatum in a list of corticioid fungi found in Japan and, if Palifer seychellensis is confirmed as a synonym of this species, one more record exists in the Seychelles.

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Population and Trends

There are at most four records available for Sceptrulum inflatum, if specimens collected in Seychelles are confirmed as the same species. Moreover, collections from Jamaica and the United States were made in 1908 and 1926, respectively, and no further records have been made since in these countries. In the description of the species Burt (1925) considered S. inflatum to be probably rare, but it may also be under sampled given its inconspicuous fruitbodies. More research into the distribution of the species and search efforts are needed to estimate population size for this species.

Population Trend: Unknown

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Habitat and Ecology

It is a corticioid species, found growing on very rotten wood (Burt 1925).

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Threats

Threats to this species are unknown.

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Conservation Actions

Further research is needed to confirm if all specimens correspond to a single species given their geographical difference, and determine the true distribution, habitat preference and population size estimate.

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Source and Citation

Cunha, S.P. & Gonçalves, S.C. 2025. Sceptrulum inflatum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T266015478A266020756. Accessed on 23 November 2025.

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• Country occurrence