Specimen #11: Shelf Fungus

Figure 1: Shelf fungus growing on log at West Woods, much smaller than specimen found at South Chagrin Reservation

Name: Ganoderma applanatum, Artist's Fungus
Family: Polyporaceae
Collection Date: October 4, 2011, September 12, 2011
Habitat: On fallen log/tree
Location: West Woods and South Chagrin Reservation
Description: Hard, grows very large on wood, pores on underside instead of gills
Collector: Taylor Summerfield

Key used: Arora, David, 1986. Mushrooms Demystified, 2nd Edition, Ten Speed Press, New York, New York.

Key Steps: Key to the Major Groups of Fleshy Fungi
1. Spores produced on mother cells called basidia; fruiting body variously shaped (see pp.52-54)
Fruiting body shelflike usually on wood...Polypores and Bracket Fungi...p.549


Key to Polyporaceae and Allies:
1. Spore bearing surface not composed of tubes; fruiting body woody...2
2. Fruiting body shelflike, stalk absent...4
4. Pore surface exposed...5
5. Pore surface not separable and elastic-gelatinous...6
6. Fruiting body with a cap...7
7. Spore bearing surface composed of a true tube layer which forms minute pores...8
8. Spore bearing surface with tubes (pores)...10
10. Very common...11

11. Fruiting body hard and woody even when fresh, medium sized to very large and often thick...Ganoderma, Fomitopsis, Phellinus, and Allies, p. 574

Key to Ganoderma, Fomitopsis, Phellinus, and Allies:

1. Pore surface not rosy...2

2. Varnished surface cap absent, stalk absent...6

6. Flesh not bright...7

7. Flesh bright yellow-brown to rusty-brown, brown, or dark brown when fresh...8

8. Pore surface white when fresh but turning brown when scratched or in old age; cap with a hard surface crust; very common...Ganoderma applanatum, p. 582

Links:

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/ganoderma_applanatum.html

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/march99.html

http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wood/poroid%20fungi/species%20pages/Ganoderma%20applanatum.htm

http://morelmushroomhunting.com/ganoderma_applanatum.htm

http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~5941.asp