Trametes pubescens

Trametes pubescens

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Polyporales

Family: Polyporaceae

Few of the polypores can honestly be described as beautiful, but when you come across young fruitbodies of Trametes pubescens on a nice sunny day you may well agree that they look absolutely gorgeous in their white velvet gowns. Unfortunately these brackets soon lose their pristine appearance, developing brown radial lines and deep furrows near the margin on the upper surface and a yellowish tinge to the fertile underside. Aged specimens are sometimes devoid of the velvety coating to which the specific epithet refers.

Identification Guide

Pores of Trametes pubescens

Description

White or cream with tough, cork-like flesh; brackets are semicircular, downy or velvety on upper surfaces; up to 8cm across and typically 5mm deep; often tiered, adjacent caps are occasionally fused laterally.

The tubes are white and 4 to 6mm deep, terminating in white, angular pores (pictured left) often varying randomly in size and sometimes merging; typically 3 to 5 per mm

Spores

White.

Odour/taste

No distinctive smell or taste.

Habitat

This bracket fungus can be seen on many kinds of broadleaf trees, including fruit trees of the Prunus genus. It is a saprophytic fungus and causes white rot.

Season

These annual bracket fungi sometimes persists through winter in southern areas, but fresh fruitbodies appear in late summer and autumn, which is when they release their spores.

Occurrence

Inrequent.

Similar species

Trametes suaveolens, a larger pale bracket, does not usually grow in overlapping tiers.