Spongipellis pachyodon

Description

Spongipellis pachyodon is a species of fungus belonging to the family Polyporaceae. It is an inedible soft toothed polypore. Stalkless caps are white to ochraceous; finely tomentose to glabrous; white to ochre tubes initially poroid but eroding to form flattened and cylindrical teeth 0.5 to 1.5 cm in length; teeth often decurrent onto effused portions.

Found early September growing from a living oak tree (which will soon be a dead oak tree because of this parasitic fungus).

Common names: Spongy Toothed Polypore.

Mushroom Identification

1. Ecology

   Parasitic on oaks and other hardwoods; causing a white heart rot; annual; growing gregariously or in shelving or fused clusters; summer and fall; widely distributed in eastern North America.

2. Fruiting Body

   Variable: sometimes merely a spreading pore surface; sometimes with a folded-over edge of a cap; sometimes with poorly to well-developed caps.

3. Cap

   Up to about 5 cm across and 5 cm deep; planoconvex to flat; very finely velvety, becoming bald; white to dull yellowish; sometimes finely radially grooved.

4. Pore Surface

   Creamy white to dull yellowish; not bruising appreciably; composed of flattened tooth-like spines and irregular, angular pores; spines to about 1 cm deep.

5. Stem

   Absent.

6. Flesh

   Whitish; soft above and tougher below.

7. Odor

   Not distinctive.

8. Spore Print

   Presumably white.

9. Microscopic Features

   Spores 5-6.5 µ; smooth; globose; inamyloid; thick-walled. Cystidia absent. Hyphal system monomitic; clamp connections present.

Synonyms

1. Irpiciporus pachyodon

2. Hydnum pachyodon Pers.

3. Irpex mollis Berk & M.A. Curtis

4. Sarcodontia pachyodon (Pers.) Spirin

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Henk Monster (CC BY 3.0)

Photo 2 - Author: Deana Thomas (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 3 - Author: James V. Gallagher IV (lbjvg) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo 4 - Author: Henk Monster (CC BY 3.0)