Poronia punctata - Nail Fungus

Taxonomy

Class: Sordariomycetes

Order: Xylariales

Family: Xylariaceae

Type ‘nail fungus’ into Google and you soon become aware of the awful damage that dermatophytic micro fungi can inflict upon the toenails and fingernails of some unfortunate people. What you are less likely to learn about is an ascomycete fungus that masquerades as an agaric – at least in so far as it has a clearly defined cap and a stem. Nail Fungus grows on pony dung and looks like a broad-headed nail of the type used when securing bituminous felt to weatherproof the roof of a garden shed.

Identification guide

	Description A flat, round or oval disc, 0.4 to 1.5cm across, sometimes developing a slightly raised margin at maturity; seated more or less centrally on a grey stem 0.5 to 1.5cm tall and 2 to 4mm dia. The fertile (upper) surface is white, becoming brownish particularly at the rim; matt; irregularly spotted with black pore openings (inset picture, above).
Spore print	Creamy white.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	On pony dung in unimproved grassland habitats.
Season	July to November.
Occurrence	Very rare. This is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan species.
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