Mushrooms Macros continued... Here we have a Smokey Bracket, also known as the Bjerkandera adusta, a genus made up of seven mushrooms belonging to the family Meruliaceae. This mushroom personally was very hard to identify, I often use a Danish mushroom database to help identify as well as other sources, & I always find this as to a go to guide outside of my UK identification guides for further clarification and analysis a book doesn't have the space to delve too much into. As Denmark sits in line with the UK or least where I am a lot we share a lot of fungi species. Anyhow, further photos threw up juxtaposed examples from one specimen to another; of which then were confused with similar species such as the Trametes versicolor (see confusion species). This is because this fungus can grow as a resupinate crust (figure 01), reflexed bracket or even as a rounded cap. Please contact me should I be incorrect with my identification.
Cap: As Crust, Bracket/shelf like, or Cap form. Felty in texture when infertile, becoming smooth & rounded; fused laterally with other caps - Convex to flat. In maturity concentrically ringed with ochre, greyish-brown & mid brown (see confusion species). This very much darkens as it progresses in age or damaged.
Pores: Shallow tubes with pores measuring 6-7 per mm; pore surface is grey except at margin where it appears pale buff.
Spore/Print: Ellipsoidal, smooth 4.5-5.5 x 2.5-3µm / print: white. Colourless (hyaline)
Flesh: Two layers - thin & elastic. Under skin in white, with blackish to grey above tubes.
Stipe: N/A
Skirt: N/A
Size/Height: 2-6cm diameter / 2-4mm
Season: All year especially Autumn & Winter
Habitat: Hardwoods (these specimens were on beech)
Distribution: Commonly widespread as tiered brackets, crusts or rounded caps often seen in large quantities (as the specimens I photographed: see figures) as saprobes.
Edible: Tough & inedible
Odour/Taste: Non-distinct / non-distinguishable
Medicinal: Fungicidal. Degrades polycyclic aromatic compound
Confusion Species: Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor)
Etymology: adusta refers to Latin "ustus" for burnt or scorched - due to the colour of the hymenium. Bjerkandera refers to Clas Bjerkander (1735 - 1795) a Swedish clergyman, meteorologist, botanist, and entomologist who as mentioned earlier has 7 other mushrooms named after him.
Microscopy: Hyphae with abundant clamp connections
Ecological Role: Saprobic breaking down dead wood; inc. less commonly on dead conifers. Causes white rot.
Pictures Taken: 04th of March 2022
Reference List:
Mushroom pocket guide
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