Summary:
Ganoderma applanatum forms a flat semicircular to hoof-shaped or shelf-like fruitbody that has a hard brown to grayish black upper surface, fine whitish pores that turn instantly brown when scratched, punky or corky flesh, and brown or reddish brown spores that often dust the upper surface. It is commonly known as the artist''s conk because a sharp instrument can produce brown drawings on the white pore surface that will be permanent after drying. It has been calculated that this fungus can produce 4.5 trillion spores annually, (Sept(1)). It is common in the Pacific Northwest.

Odor:
none (Miller)

Taste:
mild (Miller)

Microscopic:
spores given as (8)9-12 x 6.5-8 microns at one place in text [an error] but 6-9 x 4.5-6 microns in the key, oval, truncate at distal end, with two walls connected by interwall pillars, inamyloid, brown; basidia 4-spored, 20-45 x 8-10 microns, clavate, some tapering to narrow base, "arising from intercalary positions on subhymenial hyphae", with basal clamp connection; cystidia none; hyphal system trimitic, context generative hyphae inconspicuous, 2-5 microns wide, thin-walled, with clamp connections, skeletal hyphae 3-6.5 microns wide, brown, thick-walled, aseptate, "occasionally branched, the extremities tapering to acute apices", binding hyphae few, (Gilbertson), spores 6.5-9.5 x 5-7 microns, broadly elliptic and blunt at one end, with thick double wall (outer perforated, inner chambered), (Lincoff(2)), 9-13 x 6-8 microns (Lincoff(1), presumably an error), 6-9 x 4.5-6 microns (McKnight), spores 7-8(9) x 4.5-6 microns, broadly elliptic, truncate, indistinctly verrucose-uneven, truncate end with colorless germ pore, inamyloid, (Breitenbach), spores 6-9 x 4-6 microns (Ginns(25), Ginns(28))

Spore Deposit:
brown or reddish brown (Arora), rust-brown (Lincoff(1)), appear chocolate brown on cap surface (Gilbertson)

Notes:
G. applanatum is found in BC, WA, OR, ID, AB, MB, NWT, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, PQ, SK, YT, AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, and WY, (Gilbertson)

EDIBILITY

too tough and woody (Arora)

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Grandinia crustosa (Pers.) Fr.
Hyphodontia crustosa (Pers.: Fr.) J. Erikss. Symb.