Pseudochaete tobacco-brown (Pseudochaete tabacina)
Systematics:
- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Species: Pseudochaete tabacina (Pseudochaete tobacco-brown)
Synonyms:
- Auricularia tabacina
- Thelephora tabacina
- Hymenochaete tabacina
Description Fruiting bodies are annual, small, very thin (like a sheet of paper), curved or spread out. Spread out specimens often merge with each other, forming a continuous “rug” along the entire length of the branch on its lower side. The folded ones can be arranged in tiled groups or form a scalloped “frill” along the edge of the extended group.
Upper side is rough, rough, without pubescence, with concentric stripes in rusty brown and yellow-brown tones. The edge is thin, during the period of active growth, light, whitish or brownish-yellow.
The underside is smooth, dull, yellowish to the edges, tobacco-brown in the middle (and with age already entirely), with a weakly expressed concentric relief, there may be a small tubercle in the middle.
Fabric Similar in consistency to felt, dark brown.
Ecology and distribution Widespread species. It grows on dead deciduous and dead deciduous wood (alder, aspen, hazel, bird cherry and others). An interesting feature of this species is that it is able to spread along adjoining branches, forming a thick “bridge” of mycelium at the point of contact. Causes white rot.
Close species Hymenochaete rubiginosa is mainly confined to oak trees and differs in slightly larger caps.
