Specimen AB#15 (Tree Veil)

Growing on the side of a tree right at eye-level, this gorgeous specimen caught my eye. 

Figure 1. Trichaptum biformis dressing the bark of a tree

Name: Trichaptum biformis

Family: Polyporaceae

Collection Date: 10/04/2011

Habitat: In groups, shelving masses, or overlapping tiers. Favors hardwood trees unlike close relative T. abietnus which is commonly found on conifers. 

Location: West Woods

Description: “Fruiting body shelflike or bracketlike, cap fan shaped…flesh very thin, tough, pale gray to brownish… Pores round to angular but often irregularly torn or toothlike; whitish to brownish but usually tinged bright lavender to purplish, especially toward cap margin…tubes very shallow… stalk absent” (Arora, 1986).

 

Collector: Andrew Burns

Key Used: Arora. D., (1986) Mushrooms Demystified 2^nd Edition, Ten Speeds Press, New York, NY

Keying Notes:

Major Groups of Fleshy Fungi… p.52

Polypores & Bracket Fungi…p.549

1b. Spore-bearing surface composed of tubes forming a united layer (i.e., not discrete); fruiting body fleshy, tough, woody, etc…2

2b. Fruiting body bracketlike, shelflike; stalk absent; growing on wood…4

4b. Pore surface exposed…5

5b. Pore surface not separable…6

6b. Fruiting body normally with a cap…7

7b. Spore-bearing surface comprised of a true tube layer which forms minute to fairly large pores or spore-bearing surface with deep, elongated, mazelike pockets or even gills or “teeth”…8

8b. Spore-bearing surface with tubes (pores), but the pores sometimes elongate or mazelike or breaking up to form small “teeth”…10

10b. Not with above features (but may have some of them); very common…11

11b. Fruiting body usually annual, small to medium-sized, if tough when fresh cap usually fairly thin and lacking a highly varnished surface crust…12

12b.Flesh white, yellowish, beige, light brown… 13

13b. Pores break up to form “teeth”…14

14b. Fruiting body not preceded by cup or saucerlike “nest”…15

15b. Fruiting body broader than 5mm…16

16b. Pore surface lavender or violet-tinged... p. 592, Trametes & Allies

1b. Not as above…2

2a. Pores typically violet or with a distinct violet tinge…3

3b. Pores tinged violet or lavender, cap thin and not reddish…8

8a. Found mainly on hardwoods, especially common in eastern North America… p.593, Trichaptum biformis

Correlating Links:

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