Albatrellus ovinus

Albatrellus ovinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Russulales
Family:	Albatrellaceae
Genus:	Albatrellus
Species:	A. ovinus
Binomial name
Albatrellus ovinus (Schaeff.) Kotl. & Pouzar
Synonyms
Scutiger ovinus(Schaeff.) Murrill Polyporus ovinus(Schaeff.) Fr.

Albatrellus ovinus Mycological characteristics
	Pores on hymenium
	Cap is convex or flat
	Hymenium is decurrent
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is white
	Ecology is mycorrhizal
	Edibility is edible

Albatrellus ovinus is a terrestrial fungus found in Europe and North America. Although commonly known as sheep polypore, this fungus is not phylogenetically related to Polyporales (shelf fungi).

It similar to A. subrubescens , from which it may be distinguished microscopically.

Description

The cap is 4–20 centimetres (1+1⁄2–8 in) wide, convex then flat or depressed, and white then tan or pinkish. The surface is dry and smooth but cracks with age. ^[1] The whitish stalk is 2.5–10 cm (1–4 in) tall and 1–4 cm (3⁄8–1+5⁄8 in) wide, perhaps branching, with an equal or larger base. ^{[1] [2]} The spore print is white. ^[2]

Similar species

The inedible, closely related and comparatively rare Albatrellus subrubescens ^[3] has subtle color differences from A. ovinus, and the only spores of the former are amyloid. ^{[4] [5]}

Also similar are Albatrellus flettii , Jahnoporus hirtus, Scutiger ellisii, and S. pes-caprae . ^[1]

Distribution and habitat

It is found in northern Europe and in North America. In the latter, it is found from the Pacific Northwest to Northern California, in addition to the Mountain states, the Great Lakes area, the Appalachians, and the Northeast. ^[2]

Uses

The species may be edible if cooked thoroughly, but is typically slimy and may have a laxative effect. ^[6] It is not recommended by some guides. ^[1]

It is sold commercially in Finland. ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 339–340. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
2. Audubon (2023). Mushrooms of North America. Knopf. p. 158. ISBN   978-0-593-31998-7.
3. Hibbett DS, Pine EM, Langer E, Langer G, Donoghue MJ (1997). "Evolution of gilled mushrooms and puffballs inferred from ribosomal DNA sequences". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 94 (22): 12002–6. Bibcode:1997PNAS...9412002H. doi: 10.1073/pnas.94.22.12002 . PMC   23683 . PMID   9342352.
4. W. Julich, 1984: Die Nichtblatterpilze, Gallertpilze und Bauchpilze. Kleine Kryptogamenflora Band II Teil b/1
5. J. Breitenbach, F. Kranzlin, 1986: Pilze der Schweiz, Band 2. Nichtblatterpilze.
6. Arora, David (1986) [1979]. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. pp. 557–58. ISBN   978-0-89815-170-1.
7. Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p. 295. ISBN   978-1-55407-651-2.
8. Pelkonen, Riina; Alfthan, Georg; Järvinen, Olli (2008). Element Concentrations in Wild Edible Mushrooms in Finland. Helsinki: Finnish Environment Institute. p. 32. ISBN   978-952-11-3153-0. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2009-02-20.

External links

• Media related to Albatrellus ovinus at Wikimedia Commons