Got a photo? Identify mushrooms instantly with the Mushby app
Open the appDescription
Bjerkandera adusta, commonly known as the smoky bracket or smoky polypore, is a common and widely distributed bracket fungus. It is a saprophyte, and therefore causes a white rot, decaying dead wood. It can be found all year round and grows on the dead wood of broad-leaved trees.
How to Identify
- Cap
- The cap surface is smooth to finely velvety, and is typically white to grayish-brown when young, becoming darker with age. The margin is often wavy and lighter in color than the rest of the cap.
- Gills
- The pore surface is white to grayish-brown, and bruises darker when handled. The pores are small and angular, numbering 4–6 per millimeter.
- Stem
- Lacks a stem.
- Flesh
- The flesh is thin, tough, and white to grayish-brown.
- Fruiting body
- The fruiting body is a thin, tough, and flexible bracket that grows in overlapping tiers or singly. It is typically 2–10 cm wide and 1–3 cm thick.
- Habitat
- Bjerkandera adusta is a saprophyte, and therefore causes a white rot, decaying dead wood. It can be found all year round and grows on the dead wood of broad-leaved trees.
Key Facts
- Cap surfaces: Smooth to finely velvety
- Growth Form: Bracket-like, often in overlapping tiers
- Spore Print: White to pale yellow
- Body color: White to grayish-brown, darkening with age
- Odor: Faint and fungal
- Flesh bruises: Pore surface bruises darker when handled
- Height: 2-10 cm wide
- Cap Diameter: 1-3 cm thick
- Nutrient gathering: Saprophytic
Safe
SafeBjerkandera adusta is not considered toxic and is generally regarded as non-poisonous.
Quick Check
- Odor: Faint and fungal
- Fruiting: Year-round
- Substrate: Dead wood of broad-leaved trees
Where to Find
North America
Common throughout North America, particularly in deciduous forests.
Europe
Widespread across Europe, often found in similar habitats as in North America.
Finding Tips
Look for Decaying Wood
Search for Bjerkandera adusta on dead or decaying broad-leaved trees, such as birch, beech, and maple.
Check All Seasons
This fungus can be found year-round, so it's not limited to a specific season.
Similar Species
Ischnoderma resinosum
a species of bracket fungus
Also known as: Resinous Polypore
Scientific Classification
- Phylum
- Basidiomycota
- Class
- Agaricomycetes
- Order
- Polyporales
- Family
- Polyporaceae
- Genus
- Bjerkandera
Storage Information
- Max Temperature: 25°C
- Freezing duration: Not recommended
- Min Temperature: 2°C
- Refrigeration: 1-2 days
How to Clean
Cleaning Bjerkandera adusta involves removing any debris or dirt from the surface of the mushroom. A soft brush can be used to gently clean the cap and pore surface. Avoid using water unless necessary, as it can damage the fruiting body.
Explore Smoky-gilled Polypore
Identify mushrooms anywhere
Free on iOS, Android, and Web. Photo identification, full database, and your personal collection.