Inonotus dryadeus (Pers.) Murrill

Syn:Current Name: Pseudoinonotus dryadeus (Pers.) T. Wagner & M. Fisch. Phellinus dryadeus (Pers.) Pat.Profile Group: Basidiomycota, Polyporales
Macroscopic charactersshapeApplanate; dimidiate; basidiocarps often fusing together
sizeUp to 23 x 35 x 15 cm; and even larger
textureFibrous; somewhat tough
pileusBuff to dark brown; rimose with age; amber drops when fresh leaving circular pits; finely tomentose or glabrous
stipeN/A
contextBright yellowish-brown; reddish brown in age
pore surfaceBuff; often exuding amber droplets; becoming dark brown with age
poresCircular or angular; 4-6 per mm
tube layer(s)Up to 2 cm deep
Microscopic charactershyphal systemMonomitic; but with thick-walled contextual hyphae
clamp connectionsPresent on generative hyphae
sterile elementsSetae frequent; occasionally difficult to find; usually hooked; ventricose
basidiosporesSubglobose hyaline; smooth; thick-walled in age; cyanophilous; 6-8 x 5-7 um
Habitat characterssubstrate/hostMainly on mature oaks in eastern North America; on true firs in the Pacific Coast Region and Southwestern U.S.
seasonalityAnnual
type of decayWhite rot of heartwood in butts and roots of living oaks and true firs
rangeThroughout the eastern hardwood forests with oaks and also in the Southwest and Pacific Coast conifer forest ecosystems with true firs
NotesTypically develop at the ground line at the base of infected trees or from roots and some distance from the base
ReferencesOverholts, 1953; Gilbertson & Ryvarden, 1986
Species distribution in North Carolina
Top view of basidiocarp
View of basidiocarp
Section showing context
Basidiocarp view showing pitting and droplets
Hooked ventricose setae at 400x
Contextual thick-walled hyphae at 400x
Spores at 1000x