Phaeolus schweinitzii

Phaeolus schweinitzii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Polyporales
Family:	Phaeolaceae
Genus:	Phaeolus
Species:	P. schweinitzii
Binomial name
Phaeolus schweinitzii (Fr.) Pat. (1900)

Phaeolus schweinitzii Mycological characteristics
	Pores on hymenium
	Cap is offset
	Hymenium is decurrent
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is white to yellow
	Ecology is saprotrophic or parasitic
	Edibility is inedible

Phaeolus schweinitzii, commonly known as velvet-top fungus, dyer's polypore, dyer's mazegill, or pine dye polypore, is a fungal plant pathogen.

Taxonomy

P. schweinitzii is named after Lewis David de Schweinitz, a Pennsylvania-born Moravian minister and important early American mycologist.

Description

P. schweinitzii is a polypore, although unlike bracket fungi the fruiting body may appear terrestrial^{[ citation needed ]} when growing from the roots or base of the host tree. ^[1]

The fruiting bodies, appearing in late summer or fall, commonly incorporate blades of grass, twigs, or fallen pine needles as they grow. ^[2] They are tannish with darker brown centres, with orange to pale margins on young specimens. ^{[1] [3]} They may grow beyond 25 centimetres (10 in) in diameter. ^[3] As the fruiting bodies age, the pore surface turns from yellow to greenish yellow, the top becomes darker, and the yellow-brown flesh becomes harder and more wood-like. ^[2] The pores bruise brown. ^[1] The spores are white, elliptical, smooth, and inamyloid. ^[3]

The effect, impact and significance of infection by this fungus is rooted in the fact that it causes brown rot, which degrades the cellulose. Thus there is a loss of tensile strength which often leads to brittle fracture near the stem base, even at a fairly early stage of decay. Decay initiated above ground can lead to branch snap or breakout. ^[4]

Similar species

Similar species include Heterobasidion irregulare , H. occidentale, Inonotus dryophilus , and Onnia tomentosa . ^[3]

Habitat and distribution

P. schweinitzii causes causes butt rot on conifers such as Douglas-fir, spruce, fir, hemlock, pine, and larch. ^[5] It is native to North America and Eurasia, ^[5] and has been identified as an exotic species in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. ^[6]

Uses

As its common name suggests, the dyer's polypore is an excellent natural source of green, yellow, gold, or brown dye, depending on the material dyed and the mordant used. ^{[2] [7]}

The species is not edible. ^[8]

References

1. Trudell, Steve; Ammirati, Joe (2009). Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. Timber Press Field Guides. Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 262. ISBN   978-0-88192-935-5.
2. Volk, Tom; Hanmer, Debby (November 2007). "Phaeolus schweinitzii, the dye polypore or velvet-top fungus". Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
3. Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 351–352. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
4. Watson, Guy; Green, Ted (2011). Fungi on Trees. Gloucestershire, England: The Arboricultural Association. p. 46. ISBN   978-0-900978-55-5.
5. Hagle, Susan K.; Filip, Gregory M. (March 2010). "Schweinitzii Root and Butt Rot of Western Conifers" (PDF). Forest Insect & Disease Leaflet (177). USDA Forest Service.
6. "Exotic Wood Decay Fungus on Pine". Forest Health News (126). Scion. February 2003.
7. "Dyeing with Mushrooms". Mushroom-Collecting.com. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
8. Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p. 304. ISBN   978-1-55407-651-2.