Piptoporus australiensis.
Basidiomycota > Agaricomycetes > Polyporales > Fomitopsidaceae.
Common in some areas of Australia it is known as the Curry punk fungus because of its smell.
It grows on living or dead, often fire damaged eucalypt and other trees and causes a brown cubical rot.
The brackets are solitary or in small groups.
Each can exceed 20 cm in width and 8 cm in thickness.
Semicircular or irregular in shape the top is flat or slightly convex.
The upper surface is white but the orange flesh stains it a bright orange, yellow or brown.
When young the surface is smooth but it may become ridged or pitted.
The margin is rounded.
The bracket is attached by a broad base.
The deep pores on the underside are round, angular or irregular.
Initially orange or yellow the pore surface may age to a reddish-brown.
The spore print is white.
The flesh is very juicy and the pores exude large amounts of orange-yellow juice.
Also considered was:
Rigidoporus laetus.
Basidiomycota > Agaricomycetes > Polyporales > Meripilaceae.
The family has 7 genera and about 74 species.
The bracket fruit bodies are annual or perennial and usually found at the base of trees, often
appearing to be growing on the ground.
Caps on the hard fruit bodies are up to 5 cm thick and they can grow in tiers.
The upper surface is orange-red and the young ones have a conspicuous thick, smooth rounded orange margin.
There may be some zonation on the upper surface and is said to be hairy at times.
The pore surface is whitish to yellowish.
Both surfaces constantly exude drops of fluid.
Specimens have been recorded in the southern states in Australia.
J.F.
