Polypore

Polypore is a group of fungi that form fruiting bodies with pores or tubes on the underside. They are a morphological group of basidiomycetes like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi, and not all polypores are closely related. Most polypores are decomposers, with many species able to break down the lignin in the cell walls of dead trees, a few are parasitic, and some have a two-stage life cycle that allows them to become pathogens, particularly in trees.

Characteristics

Polypores are mainly found on tree trunks or branches consuming the dead wood. The morphological diversity is high, for example polypores can be with or without a stem, some are soft and others are tough, some are small and others are large, the color can be white, brown, black or brightly colored. However, they all have in common that they are formed of a hymenophore with pores. The spores are released from the inner surfaces of these tubes.

Ecology

Polypores play a very important role in the decomposition of wood and the nutrient cycle in forest ecosystems. More than any other group of fungi, polypores are responsible for the degradation of wood, especially of lignin, which is hardly decomposed by other organisms. A number of species are able to degrade the wood of living trees, or to cause rot in building timber.

Taxonomy

Polypores are a morphological group of fungi within the division Basidiomycota. Species may have a stem, or they may be sessile, and their context tissue may be homogeneous or composed of separate hyphae. They are typically found growing on wood, and they have tubes or pores in their fruiting bodies, from which the spores are released.

See also

• Bracket fungus
• Mushroom hunting
• Mushroom cultivation

References

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