Polyporus varius (Pers.) Fr.
no common name
Polyporaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
no common name
Polyporaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
Species Information
Summary:
Features include 1) a tough, thin, circular, pale buff cap that has darker radial striations, and that becomes depressed, 2) small pale buff pores, 3) a central to lateral black stem, and 4) microscopic characters including generative hyphae with clamp connections. The online Species Fungorum, accessed September 6, 2017, gave the current name as Cerioporus varius (Pers.) Zmitr. & Kovalenko, but MycoBank, accessed the same day, gave the current name as Polyporus varius (Pers.) Fr. The description is derived from Gilbertson(1), except where noted.
Microscopic:
spores 9-12 x 2.5-3 microns, cylindric, slightly curved, smooth, inamyloid, colorless; basidia 4-spored, 18-30 x 7-9 microns, clavate, with basal clamp; cystidia absent, cystidioles 18-23 x 5-7 microns, fusoid; hyphae dimitic, generative hyphae of context 2.5-4 microns wide, difficult to find in mature specimens, thin-walled, with clamp connections, skeletal hyphae of context 4-5 microns wide, thick-walled, nonseptate, binding hyphae of context 1.5-4 microns wide, thick-walled, nonseptate, much branched; hyphae of trama similar
Notes:
Polyporus varius is found in BC, WA, OR, ID, AB, MB, NT, NB, NS, ON, YT, AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NH, NM, NY, TN, UT, VT, WV, and WY, (Gilbertson).
Habitat and Range
SIMILAR SPECIES
Polyporus elegans does not have striate cap surface, (Gilbertson). Polyporus badius has a dark brown or blackish brown cap, usually larger size, and lacks clamp connections, (Gilbertson). Polyporus melanopus has a black velvety stem, and grows on the ground, (Gilbertson). Polyporus ciliatus was the tentative diagnosis without microscopy for a 2018 collection near Mt Ranier WA (Mushroom Observer 316815). DNA sequencing put it just outside the normal ITS variation of Polyporus varius, and the notable features were cap about 6cm across and pale brown, pores about 8-9 per millimeter in white surface, stem lacking any black, and fruiting probably on Alnus (alder) in spring.Habitat
annual, on dead wood of hardwoods and conifers, associated with a white rot
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Corticium leucoxanthum Bres.
Megalocystidium leucoxanthum (Bres.) Julich