Peniophora decorticans Burt
no common name
Peniophoraceae

Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.

Introduction to the Macrofungi

Photograph

© Adolf Ceska     (Photo ID #21533)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Peniophora decorticans
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Species Information

Summary:
"Its most noteworthy character, by which it may be recognized at a glance, is its curious habit of forming the fructification on bark-covered limbs between the bark and the wood, so that the loosened bark - very noticeable on Quercus limbs - curls back, disclosing the fructification closely adnate on the wood.", (Burt, hyphen replaced by long dashes and genus name italicized). Other features of Peniophora decorticans include 1) color that is pale pinkish buff and pale gray to whitish, 2) antler-shaped paraphyses and 3) encrusted cystidia, seen only in the region next to the bark. The description is derived from Burt(7). It is common locally in Washington and Oregon, (Burt).
Microscopic:
SPORES 8-9 x 3 microns, slightly curved, even, colorless, few seen; CYSTIDIA few, up to 20-25 microns x 15 microns, encrusted, ovoid to subglobose, seen only in the region next to the substrate; PARAPHYSES "with slender, antler-shaped branches protrude from hymenium"; in section brownish, 50-90 microns thick, not zoned, "composed of densely arranged, interwoven, slightly colored, erect hyphae 3 microns in diameter, with no darker and opaque zone next to the substratum"
Notes:
It has been found in BC, WA, and OR, (Ginns).

Habitat and Range

SIMILAR SPECIES
P. decorticans differs from Peniophora cinerea, Peniophora nuda, and Peniophora violaceolivida in not being so dark as to be opaque next to the substrate, (Burt).
Habitat
on Acer macrophyllum (Bigleaf Maple), Quercus garryana (Oregon White Oak), Rhus diversiloba (poison-oak), (Ginns), February to December, (Burt)