Fungus · GBIF taxon 2543824
Smoky polypore
Bjerkandera adustaAlso known as Smoky Bracket
Smoky polypore forms dense, overlapping tiers of thin brackets across fallen logs and weakened hardwood trees. Its most striking feature is the underside, where tiny pores turn distinctly smoky gray to dark blackish-ash while retaining a pale, contrasting margin. As a primary agent of white rot, it aggressively breaks down tough lignin and cellulose, recycling essential organic matter back into woodland soil.
Bracket FungusWood-DecayingForest Decomposer
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Hardwood lignin
- Hardwood cellulose
- Dead birch and beech wood
Predators
- Fungus-eating beetles (Ciidae)
- Fungus gnat larvae
- Slugs
ThreatsClear-cutting and systematic removal of fallen deadwood
HabitatsDeciduous and mixed woodlands, parks, rotting logs, and dead hardwoods
Life spanAnnual (fruiting bodies last several months to one year)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPolyporales
- FamilyPhanerochaetaceae
- GenusBjerkandera
- SpeciesBjerkandera adusta
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Pore Inspection: Turn the shelf over to observe the characteristic charcoal-gray pore surface bordered by a clean white rim.
- Substrate Clues: Look for clusters on dead birch, beech, oak, or alder in damp, shaded forest hollows.
Competitor Jerzy Opioła / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Look-Alike (c) Christine Young, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christine Young · cc-by
Frequent Companion no rights reserved · cc0
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