Trametes modesta

🏷️ Description

Trametes modesta, a fascinating white rot fungus, is a fast-growing polypore found in tropical and subtropical regions. It thrives on decaying wood, transforming the forest floor with its unique and vibrant basidiocarps. This species is particularly intriguing due to its ability to produce cellulase and ligninolytic enzymes, essential for breaking down complex organic matter. Recent studies have also demonstrated its potential for laccase enzyme production, unlocking new applications in biotechnology.

🪵 Habitat & Distribution

🌏 Found across the tropics, T. modesta is especially common in South-East Asia, with occasional records from Africa (e.g., Zimbabwe, Burundi, Kenya) and South America. It grows on very rotten deciduous wood, often in moist environments with tall overstory trees, such as eucalyptus-dominated forests.

🔎 Identification

• Cap: Semicircular to fan-shaped, laterally attached, and growing up to 2.36 inches (6 cm) wide. The surface evolves from velvety pinkish-brown to glabrous tan or pale brown with faint lilac or café-au-lait shades. Occasionally, it develops striking radial reddish streaks.

• Pores: Tiny and round, with 6-10 pores per mm, cream to pale pink-beige, becoming tan as they age.

• Flesh: Thin (up to 5 mm), fibrous, with a faint pink or beige hue. A unique trait is its reaction to KOH, turning cherry red briefly before fading to a persistent pale red spot.

• Spores: Cylindrical, smooth, and hyaline, measuring 4.5-6 × 1.5-2 µm.

• Hyphal System: Trimitic, with thin-walled generative hyphae and dominant skeletal hyphae that exhibit a faint pink to yellow tint.

🌈 Unique Features

1. Color Variability: The fruitbody can display a spectrum of colors, from pale buff and pinkish tones to tan with rare white forms.

2. Microscopic Reactions: Its cherry-red KOH reaction distinguishes it from similar species like T. menziezii.

3. Texture: Flexible and tough, whether fresh or dry, making it a persistent presence in the forest ecosystem.

🔬 Applications

A superstar in the enzyme world, T. modesta produces laccase, valuable for:

• Environmental detoxification (effluent treatment, dye bleaching).

• Industrial processes (textile and pulp bleaching).

• Biotechnology (biosensors, steroid transformation, phenolic removal in winemaking).

📜 Synonyms

• Phellinus detonsus (Fr.) Ryvarden 2004

• Daedalea modesta (Kunze ex Fr.) Aoshima 1967

• Trametes atypa (Lév.) G. Cunn. 1965

• Polyporus praetervisus Speg. 1926

• Polystictus subcalvus (Pat.) Sacc. & Trotter 1925

• Polyporus clemensiae (Murrill) Bres. 1920

• Coriolus subcalvus Pat. 1914

• Polystictus clemensiae (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter 1912

• Polystictus perpusillus (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter 1912

• Polystictus cuneatiformis (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter 1912

• Polystictus substipitatus (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter 1912

• Polystictus parthenius (Har. & Pat.) Sacc. & Trotter 1912

• Polyporus caespitosus (Murrill) Lloyd 1912

• Coriolus parthenius Har. & Pat. 1909

• Coriolus perpusillus Murrill 1908

• Coriolus clemensiae Murrill 1908

• Trametes caespitosa Murrill 1907

• Coriolus substipitatus Murrill 1907

• Trametes luzonensis Murrill 1907

• Coriolus cuneatiformis Murrill 1907

• Coriolus cervinonitens (Schwein. ex Berk.) Pat. 1900

• Coriolus atypus (Lév.) Pat. 1900

• Coriolus albocervinus (Berk.) Pat. 1900

• Microporus aculeatus (Lév.) Kuntze 1898

• Microporus albocervinus (Berk.) Kuntze 1898

• Microporus modestus (Kunze ex Fr.) Kuntze 1898

• Microporus detonsus (Fr.) Kuntze 1898

• Microporus deglubens (Berk.) Kuntze 1898

• Microporus cervinonitens (Schwein. ex Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Kuntze 1898

• Scindalma sordidum (Lév.) Kuntze 1898

• Poria deglubens (Berk.) Sacc. 1888

• Polystictus albocervinus (Berk.) Cooke 1886

• Polystictus detonsus (Fr.) Cooke 1886

• Polystictus aculeatus (Lév.) Cooke 1886

• Polystictus deglubens (Berk.) Cooke 1886

• Fomes sordidus (Lév.) Cooke 1885

• Polyporus deglubens Berk. 1856

• Polyporus albocervinus Berk. 1856

• Polyporus cervinonitens Schwein. ex Berk. & M.A. Curtis 1853

• Polyporus dorcas Berk. 1852

• Polystictus modestus (Kunze ex Fr.) Fr. 1851

• Polyporus aculeatus Lév. 1846

• Polyporus atypus Lév. 1844

• Polyporus splendens Lév. 1844

• Polyporus sordidus Lév. 1844

• Polyporus monochrous Mont. 1841

• Polyporus detonsus Fr. 1830

• Polyporus modestus Kunze ex Fr. 1830

Photo source: Eugene Popov (CC BY 4.0)