Wildflowers Found in Oregon

Oak Polypore Fungus

Piptoporus quercinus - This fungus causes a brown rot of the heartwood of mature or dead oak trees. The stemless bracket-like fruit bodies (the visible part of the fungus) have a smooth upper surface, which feels velvety when young. As the fruit body matures, pores develop on the underside and the color changes from white to pale-yellow and then brown with a white border in mature specimens. This species causes brown rot in mature oaks or on recently dead oaks, but never on any other species. It mainly occurs in wood pasture habitat where there has been a continuity of mature oak trees. The fruiting bodies which are edible but have a very bitter taste; generally appear between May and December.