Summary:
Features include a hoof-shaped to spherical, tan-colored fruitbody on conifers, which when sliced open is seen to have a hollow cavity lined in its upper part by pores, a tube layer and flesh, and in its lower part by a relatively thin layer that may be perforated. Spores are apparently spread by bark beetles as well as by wind.

Odor:
"often fragrant (like Sparassis)", (Arora), slightly resinous (Miller)

Taste:
slightly bitter (Gilbertson)

Microscopic:
spores 8-12 x 3-5 microns, cylindric to elliptic, smooth, (Arora), spores 12-16.5 x 4.5 microns, cylindric, smooth, inamyloid, colorless; cystidioles 20-28 x 5-7 microns, not projecting, but fusoid, thin-walled, with basal clamp; hyphal system trimitic, contextual generative hyphae mostly 3-7 microns wide (but with inflated parts at branches up to 15 microns wide), thin-walled, with clamp connections at all septa, with occasional branching, contextual skeletal hyphae 2.5-8 microns, thick-walled, colorless, nonseptate, with occasional branching, binding hyphae 1.5-2.5 microns wide, thick-walled, nonseptate, much branched, tramal hyphae similar, (Gilbertson)

Spore Deposit:
pinkish or flesh-colored (Arora), white to cream-color (Miller)

Notes:
It is found in BC, WA, OR, ID, AB, MB, NB, ON, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, PA, SD, UT, VA, VT, WV, WY, and east Asia, (Gilbertson).

EDIBILITY

too tough (Arora)

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Clavaria truncata Quel.
Polyporus volvatus Peck