Pycnoporellus alboluteus (Ellis & Everh.) Kotl. & Pouzar
orange sponge polypore
Uncertain
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
orange sponge polypore
Uncertain
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
Species Information
Summary:
Features include an orange sponge-like fruiting body with large pores that often become tooth-like, and flat growth on the underside of conifer wood from which it peels off in a continuous layer. It is conspicuous in the spruce-fir zone of western mountains.
Chemical Reactions:
all tissues quickly cherry red in KOH, (Gilbertson)
Microscopic:
spores 9-14 x 3-3.5 microns, cylindric, smooth, inamyloid, colorless; basidia 4-spored, 30-45 x 6-7 microns, clavate, simple-septate at base; cystidia frequent, 60-120 x 5-10 microns, cylindric, thin-walled to moderately thick-walled, colorless, not incrusted, simple-septate at base; hyphae monomitic, hyphae of context 2-10 microns, bright reddish then colorless in KOH, thin-walled to thick-walled, with frequent branching, appearing rough because of a thin incrustation, simple-septate, hyphae of trama 3-5 microns wide, similar, (Gilbertson), spores (7)10-14 x 3-4 microns, (Arora)
Spore Deposit:
white (Arora)
Notes:
Pycnoporellus alboluteus is found in BC, WA, OR, ID, AB, ON, AK, AZ, CA, CO, MI, MT, NM, NY, UT, and WY, (Gilbertson), and PQ (Lincoff).
EDIBILITY
not known (Phillips)
Habitat and Range
SIMILAR SPECIES
Pycnoporellus fulgens is commonly bracket-like or bent outward from pore surface to form cap, and has smaller pores, spores, and cystidia, (Gilbertson). P. fulgens is typically semicircular or distinctly reflexed (bent outward to form a cap) with smaller pores 2-3 per mm, smaller cystidia measuring 45-60 x 4-6 microns, and smaller spores measuring 6-9 x 2.5-4.0 microns, (Ginns).Habitat
annual, on dead conifers, especially Picea (spruce), occasionally on aspen, associated with brown cubical rot of conifer and aspen logs covered by snow in winter, (Gilbertson), on fallen logs of conifers, usually on undersides, often developing in snow, mainly in spring but persisting later in the year, (Arora), on conifers, especially Picea, infrequently on Populus, developing "in spring in association with receding snow banks", (Ginns)
Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Clavaria formosa Pers. per Fr.
Fomes alboluteus Ellis & Everh.
Polyporus alboluteus (Ellis & Everh.) Ellis & Everh.