Postia caesia - Conifer Blueing Bracket

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Polyporales

Pale at first, this unusual rather than pretty annual bracket fungus, which can appear singly or in rows or tiers, turns a distinctive blue colour as it ages.

Pine wood is the usual host of this wood-rotting fungus, although very occasionaly you may also find these hairy blue brackets on dead and decaying hardwoods such as beech or oak logs.

Identification Guide

	Cap The fruitbodies are typically 1 to 5cm across and up to 1cm thick, and the upper surface is covered in fine hairs and radial wrinkles that create a slightly wavy margin.
Tubes and Pores	The pores are white and spaced 4 to 6 per mm.
Spore print	Pale blue.
Odour/taste	Mild odour; very little taste; inedible.
Habitat	Restricted to coniferous trees.
Season	Throughout the year, but releasing spores in late autumn.
Occurrence	fairly frequent.
Similar species	Because of its colour, Postia caesia is unlikely to be confused with any other common bracket fungus.