Turkeytail/Many Zoned Polypore – Coriolus versicolor

Fungi of the Week

5th December 2019 | Info

Common name: Turkeytail/ Many Zoned Polypore

Scientific name: Trametes versicolour/Coriolus versicolor

Introduction: The Turkeytail fungus is a native bracket fungus that grows in tiered layers on dead wood. It is saprobic and can commonly be found on Beech or Oak trees. They have a similar appearance to turkey tails.

Identification

Cap: They have a semi-circular shape and characteristically are thin and tough. Clear concentric circles on the cap can vary and can range in colour from red, yellow and green to blue, black, brown and white; hence the name ‘versicolour’ (several colours are in the fruiting body). They can be anything from 4-10cm wide and the outer ring is always pale (typically a creamy white). 

Pores: Shallow. White to cream.

Stem: Stemless.

Spores: Allantoid and white. They are released in autumn and winter. 

Flesh: Limited as the when the individual fungi form they are quite thin. The thin flesh has a white tinge to it, except for a black line that runs across where the cap meets the flesh.

Habitat: Typically found on beach or oak trees and form in brackets. 

Impact on Trees: Attacks dead wood – either fallen or standing. Typically, Trametes versicolour/Coriolus versicolor are saprobic, but they can sometimes just be a weak parasite. 

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