Fungus · GBIF taxon 2544188
Milk-white Toothed Polypore
Irpex lacteusAlso known as Milk-white Tooth, Milk-white Tooth Crust, Toothed Crust Fungus
Milk-white toothed polypores form spreading crusts or small shelving caps on dead hardwood branches throughout temperate forests. The underside features a distinctive surface of flattened, tooth-like spines that release spores into forest breezes. As a prolific white-rot fungus, this species plays a crucial role in breaking down lignin and recycling nutrients back into woodland soils.
Wood DecayWhite RotTemperate Fungi
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Dead hardwood lignin
- Dead hardwood cellulose
Predators
- Fungus beetles
- Springtails
- Fungivorous fly larvae
ThreatsSevere forest clearing and removal of fallen deadwood
HabitatsDeciduous forests, mixed woodlands, and parks on dead hardwood branches
Life spanPersistent annual to short-lived perennial fruiting bodies
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPolyporales
- FamilyIrpicaceae
- GenusIrpex
- SpeciesIrpex lacteus
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
- Examine the Underside: Turn over dead hardwood branches to view the flattened, tooth-like spines beneath the white crust.
- Check the Wood Type: Search specifically on decaying deciduous branches, where this saprobe thrives best.
- Use Magnification: Bring a hand lens to inspect the intricate hydnoid tooth structures up close.
Ecological Competitor (c) Erlon Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Erlon Bailey · cc-by-sa
Ecological Competitor no rights reserved · cc0
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