Lentinus can be recognized by its white spores, serrate gill-edge, and Pleurotoid stature; substrate is wood and species cause a brown rot. The spores do not react with the iodine in Melzers reagent. The spores of Lentinellus react with Melzer's reagent, thus are amyloid; Lentinellus can not be separated from Lentinus using only macroscopic features.

Neolentinus was separated from Lentinus because its species cause a white rot of wood. N. kaufmanni is found on spruce wood in our area.