Polypores.
Polypore is a general term for large mainly bracket and shelf fruiting bodies with pores underneath.
Many are in the Polyporaceae family which has over 1600 species in 114 genera.
A few are in other orders such as the Agaricales and Auriculariales.
Polypore is not a scientific grouping.
The vegetative mycelium can be in the substrate for years before a fruit body is formed.
Most produce new fruit bodies yearly others just continue to grow for years.
They come in various shapes but many are basically fan-shaped brackets.
They rarely have a round cap or central stem (e.g. the Boletes).
Sizes varies and they are usually hard and leathery.
In almost all the pore layer is difficult to remove.
Most polypores have spore bearing tubes which open as pores on the underside of the fruit body.
Many have regular, round pores but others can be like a maze or resemble gills, teeth or spines.
The pores may be invisible to the naked eye or up to 5 mm across.
Many polypores have a greenish surfaces due to algae or moss growing on them.
Fruit bodies cannot always be relied on for identification because of atypical forms.
The polypores (and crust) fungi are important decomposers of wood.
If seen on the ground they will actually be living on buried wood or fine woody debris in leaf litter.
They may also be root rot fungi or have formed a beneficial relationship with the roots of trees.
Most are saprophytic using chemicals to degrade either the lignin or cellulose in dead wood.
*************
The varied appearances of the spore layer.
Pores are typically round and regular over the surface of the hymenium
Others are irregular being elongated, polygonal etc.
The tube walls may break down leading to a layer resembling that of other fungi.
The hymenium can be maze-like (daedaleoid), have teeth (hydnoid) or lamellae resembling fragmented gills.
The walls between the pores usually have a smooth rim but sometimes they are slightly incised and resemble small teeth.
J.F.
