Fauna
Fungus

Violet-toothed Polypore

Trichaptum biforme

Also known as Violet-pored Bracket Fungus, Purple Tooth, Violet Tooth

Violet-toothed polypores adorn dead hardwood logs in dense, overlapping fan-like clusters. Fresh growing specimens display a vivid violet or lilac margin along their thin caps, fading to greyish-tan as they age, while the underside features tiny tooth-like pores. These hardy wood-decay fungi play an essential ecological role by breaking down lignin and recycling nutrients back into forest soils.

Shelf FungusWood DecayerSaprotrophic
Violet-toothed Polypore reference1 / 7
(c) Erlon Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Erlon Bailey · cc-by-sa
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyDecaying oak wood, Decaying birch wood, Decaying maple wood
Predators
  • Fungus beetles
  • Fungus gnat larvae
  • Slugs
ThreatsWidespread deforestation
HabitatsHardwood forests and mixed woodlands
Life spanFruit bodies last several months to a year
Classification
  1. OrderHymenochaetales
  2. FamilyHymenochaetaceae
  3. GenusTrichaptum
  4. SpeciesTrichaptum biforme
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. 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
  • Underside Inspection: Turn over a shelf to check for the distinctive purple to brownish tooth-like pores.
  • Substrate Clues: Note the host wood, as this fungus prefers hardwoods like oak, birch, and maple.
  • Age Recognition: Look for bright violet rim margins on younger, actively growing caps.
Related species
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