Mushroom Monday: Ganoderma applanatum (Artist Bracket)

Mushroom Monday: Ganoderma applanatum (Artist Bracket)

Today’s Mushroom Monday mushroom is Ganoderma applanatum, the artist bracket.  Learn about this interesting mushroom and how it gets its common name in today’s TrueTreeTalk post.

Where can Ganoderma applanatum Mushrooms be Found?

Ganoderma applanatum mushrooms are common mushrooms and can be found around the world.  They generally grow from hardwood stumps or logs but can also be found growing on living trees.  In some situations, they can also be found growing from conifers.  They can be found by themselves or in groups with others.

What do Ganoderma applanatum Mushrooms Look Like?

Ganoderma applanatum mushrooms have a bald, unvarnished surface with furrows and lumps.  The top side is a dull shade of brown and can have a white edge.  The underside is white or can be grayish, and if bruised, it turns brown.  The mushrooms are hard with a tough texture.

They range in size from around 4 to 12 inches across and from a little more than 3 inches to 5.5 inches in depth and have a semicircle shape.  Generally, they have no stem, though a small one can be present.

Two similar mushrooms are Ganoderma lobatum and Ganoderma brownii.

Ganoderma applanatum Mushrooms are Polypores

Unlike mushrooms with gills, Ganoderma applanatum mushrooms belong to a group of mushrooms with pores, called polypores.  The pores are on the underside of the mushrooms and there are tubes where spores are produced.  The spores are released and spread by the air.

Ganoderma applanatum Mushrooms are Perennial Mushrooms

Unlike other mushroom fruiting bodies that grow, produce spores, and die, Ganoderma applanatum mushrooms have perennial fruiting bodies.  Ganoderma applanatum grows new layers that produce spores, and the number of layers can indicate the mushroom’s relative age.  Ganoderma applanatum mushroom fruiting bodies can last for years.

Why are Ganoderma applanatum Mushrooms Called Artist Brackets?

When the pore surface is bruised, it changes color, and the color change is permanent once the mushroom dries.  Because of this, people can use the underside to create images and artwork.  This is where it gets the name artists bracket from.

How do Ganoderma applanatum Mushrooms Relate to Trees?

Ganoderma applanatum mushrooms are generally saprophytic but can also be parasitic.  When they grow on living trees the decay of each mushroom can spread roughly four to six inches below and above where the mushroom is, and they can be a significant cause of white rot in trees.  They can grow from wounds on trees.

If you liked learning about Ganoderma applanatum mushrooms, 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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