Mushroom Monday: Pycnoporus cinnabarinus

Mushroom Monday: Pycnoporus cinnabarinus

Today’s Mushroom Monday mushroom is Pycnoporus cinnabarinus.  We’ve looked at polypores before, like the resinous polypore and we’ve looked at orange mushrooms before, like the orange mycena.  In today’s post, we look at a mushroom that’s both: an orange polypore.

Where Can Pycnoporus cinnabarinus Mushrooms be Found?

These mushrooms can be found throughout North America and are generally in groups.  They are usually associated with hardwoods, and can be seen growing from the bark of dead wood.  They don’t grow directly from the ground.

What Does Their Cap Look Like?

The cap has a half-circle shape.  It is flat on one side and convex on the other.  It ranges in size from around three-quarters of an inch to five inches across, and gets to be around three-quarters of an inch thick.

The cap is orange in color, but the color fades as the mushroom ages, and the margins can be lighter than the rest.  The topside is covered with fine hairs (which lessen with age) and the underside is smooth.

What About Gills?

As mentioned, Pycnoporus cinnabarinus is a polypore, so it doesn’t have gills.  Instead, its spores are released from pores on the underside.

Does it Have a Stem?

Generally, there isn’t a stem, but there can seem to be a rudimentary one where the mushroom attaches to wood.

How Does the Mushroom Get Nutrients?

Pycnoporus cinnabarinus are saprophytic mushrooms and get energy and nutrients from wood that has died.  They cause a white rot in wood (consuming the darker colored lignin).

Are There Any Look Alikes?

Pycnoporus cinnabarinus resembles Hapalopilus nidulans (Pycnoporus cinnabarinus is brighter, thinner, and generally larger).  It also resembles Pycnoporus sanguineus (Pycnoporus cinnabarinus is thicker and duller).

If you liked learning about Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, check out our other Mushroom Monday posts on our TrueTreeTalk blog.  Follow us on Facebook to keep up with these and other posts.

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