Fungus Fact Friday

Tagged: polypore

#070: Ganoderma applanatum, The Artist’s Conk [Archived] 2

Archived

#070: Ganoderma applanatum, The Artist’s Conk [Archived]

Note: this is an archived post. You can find the current version here. Ganoderma applanatum is unique among fungi in that it is primarily used by humans as an artistic medium. This large, woody bracket fungus features a flat, rapidly-staining, white pore surface, which readily becomes a natural canvas for an artist.  By lightly scratching the pore surface, an artist can produce beautiful sketches without using a pen, pencil, or paint.  The pores stop growing once the mushroom is removed from its substrate, so the stains remain on the pore surface.  Conks produced by applanatum are woody and therefore decay very slowly.  As a result, artwork produced on the Artist’s Conk can last for many years when kept indoors.

#065: Trametes versicolor, the Turkey Tail [Archived] 3

Archived

#065: Trametes versicolor, the Turkey Tail [Archived]

Note: This is an archived post. Read the current version of this post here. It is easy to see how this mushroom got its common name: the upper surface of the fan-shaped fruiting body sports rings of color that vary from gray to brown to reddish orange. In fresh specimens, the edge of the mushroom is white, making it look remarkably like the displayed tail of a wild turkey.

#030: Mushroom Morphology: Polypores 4

Fungus Fact

#030: Mushroom Morphology: Polypores

One of the most commonly encountered mushroom morphologies is the polypore. Polypores are distinguished by a hymenium (spore-bearing surface) consisting of many, small pores.  Unlike in boletes, the pore surface of the polypores cannot be easily separated from the rest of the mushroom.  Polypores are a highly diverse group of mushrooms that come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  The polypores you are most likely to encounter, especially during the winter, are tough to woody mushrooms that can last throughout the winter.  Of these, the most common are the Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) and Trichaptum biforme.  Both of these are medium-sized wood decomposers often found covering fallen logs or stumps.  The tough fruiting bodies are annual, but can last for a year or more.  Other polypores that last through the winter produce large, woody conks on the side of living trees or fallen logs.  These mushrooms are perennial and...