Artist's Fungus

Fungi are neither plants nor animals but belong to their own kingdom. They are unable to produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis, as plants do; instead, they acquire nutrients from living or dead plants, animals, or other fungi, as animals do. In many larger fungi (except lichens) the only visible parts are the fruit bodies, which arise from a largely unseen network of threads called 'hyphae'. These hyphae permeate the fungus's food source, which may be soil, leaf litter, rotten wood, dung, and so on, depending on the species, and take up nutrients (3). The inedible fruit bodies of artist's fungus are found throughout the year (5). They grow alone or in overlapping groups on the trunk of the host tree (3). This parasitic fungus causes a white rot in host timber and eventually kills living trees (3).

Not relevant.

Artist's fungus forms bracket-like fruit bodies that are reddish brown in colour (4). The hard waxy crust has a knobbly surface (3), and the flesh is dark reddish-brown, with a fibrous texture (4). Spores are released from pores located on the underside of the fungus. The pores are initially white, but become brownish as they age (4). This species releases massive amounts of brown spores, which collect on other fruit bodies and on the trunk of the host tree. This often gives the impression that the area has been liberally sprinkled with cocoa powder (3). An unusual form of this fungus occurs fairly frequently, in which layers of whitish flesh occur throughout the fruit body. Patterns scratched into these white layers are permanent, and this practice explains the common name of this species, 'artist's fungus' (3). WARNING: many species of fungus are poisonous or contain chemicals that can cause sickness. Never pick and eat any species of fungus that you cannot positively recognise or are unsure about. Some species are deadly poisonous and can cause death within a few hours if swallowed.

Parasitic on a range of living or dead broad-leaved trees, but favours beech (4). In many parts of its range it occurs in mountainous areas (3).

This fungus has a wide distribution in Britain but is not common (4). It is also found in Europe and North America as well as Trinidad, Panama, Columbia and Venezuela (3).

Widespread in Britain (3).

This species is not threatened at present.

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Fungus / gall
larva of Agathomyia wankowiczi causes galls on live hymenium of bracket of Ganoderma applanatum

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Fagus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Betula

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Fraxinus

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Quercus

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Salix

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Tilia

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Ulmus

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Juglans regia
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Laburnum anagyroides
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Laurus nobilis
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Malus

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Morus nigra
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Prunus amygdalus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Rhus typhina
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Abies
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Araucaria araucana
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Cedrus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Picea
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Pinus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum is saprobic on dead trunk of Chrysolepis chrysophylla
Other: minor host/prey

Guidance for identification (German text)

Elfvingia megaloma (Lev.) Murrill, Bull. Torrey
Club 30: 300. 1903.
Polyporus megaloma L6v. Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 5 : 128. 1846.
Polyportis leucophaeus Mont. Syll. Crypt. 157. 1856. (Type from Ohio.)
Fomes megaloma Cooke, Grevillea 14 : 18. 1885.
Pileus hard, woody, dimidiate, applanate, 6-15X8-30X1-4 cm.; surface milk-white to gray or umbrinous, glabrous, concentrically sulcate, encrusted, fasciate with obscure lines, conidia-bearing, usually brownish during the growing season from the covering of conidia ; margin obtuse, broadly sterile, white or slightly cremeous, entire to undulate : context corky, usually rather hard, zonate, fulvous to bay, 5-10 mm. thick, thinner with age ; tubes very evenly stratified, separated by thin layers of context, 5-10 mm. long each season, avellaneous to umbrinous within, mouths circular, 5 to a mm., whitish-stuffed when young, edges obtuse, entire, white or slightly yellowish to umbrinous, quickly changing color when bruised : spores ovoid, smooth or very slightly roughened, pale yellowish-brown, truncate at the base, 7-8 X 5-6 ii.
Type locality : New York.
Habitat : Abundant on dead or diseased trunks or timber of most deciduous trees ■ also on conifers in certain sections. ' '
Distribution : Canada to the mountains of Alabama and west to California

Ganoderma megaloma is a species of bracket fungus in the family Ganodermataceae. Described as new to science in 1846 by mycologist Joseph-Henri Léveillé, it is found in the eastern and midwestern United States. It was moved into the genus Ganoderma by Giacomo Bresàdola in 1912. The fungus causes white rot and butt rot on living hardwoods. The holotype was collected in New York.

It is closely related to Ganoderma applanatum.