Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat.
artist's conk
Polyporaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
artist's conk
Polyporaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
Species Information
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)
Habitat and Range
SIMILAR SPECIES
Ganoderma brownii has larger spores and a yellowish cast to the pore surface (Gilbertson). G. brownii has flesh that is darker in color and thicker (3-8cm), (Arora). G. brownii has less flattened fruitbodies, is restricted to hardwoods, and has spores that are much larger, (Siegel), Ganoderma annularis (Fr.) Gilb. of California is also similar, with flesh represented by a thin layer, most of the tissue being composed of old tubes, and has spores 11-14 x 7-8 microns, (Gilbertson). Fomitopsis mounceae has a reddish resinous band near the margin when fresh, cream to buff flesh, and a pore surface that does not mark brown easily. See also SIMILAR section of Ganoderma oregonense.Habitat
perennial, dead standing trees, stumps, and living trees of numerous genera of hardwoods, also common on conifers in Pacific Northwest and rarely on conifers elsewhere, causes a white mottle rot and butt rot of living aspen, also found on dead standing or fallen hardwoods, (Gilbertson), young buttons start in summer but continue fruiting all year (Miller)
Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Grandinia crustosa (Pers.) Fr.
Hyphodontia crustosa (Pers.: Fr.) J. Erikss. Symb.