(Irpex lacteus)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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IUCN Red List | not listed |
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NatureServe | not listed |
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Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Milk-white Toothed Polypore is widespread in Europe and North America. It is very common in the eastern United States to the Midwest, including Minnesota, but rare in the Southwest. It grows flat (resupinate) on the bottom and sides of logs and fallen branches of hardwood trees, infrequently also on conifers. It usually obtains its nutrients from dead wood (saprobic), possibly also from live cherry wood (parasitic). It is exceptionally resistant to pollution toxicity. The fruiting body is a patch of pore surface spread out flat (effused) on a branch or log (substrate). It is dry, stiff, and white, off-white, or cream-colored. Adjacent patches often fuse together creating a long row. There are 2 or 3 pores every thirty-second of an inch (1 mm). The pore walls are thin and disintegrate unevenly. As the walls break down the spore surface becomes maze-like. Eventually, only flattened, tooth-like projections less than ¼″ (6 mm) long remain. When growing on the side of a log or branch it may develop shelf-like caps. If present, the cap is ⅜″ to 1½″ wide, whitish to grayish, often concentrically zoned, and densely covered with velvety hairs. There is no stem. The flesh is thin and tough. It is not edible. |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat and Hosts |
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Dead hardwood logs and branches |
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Biology |
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Season |
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Annual but persists year-round |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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1/26/2023 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Widespread and very common |
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Taxonomy |
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Kingdom | Fungi (fungi) | ||
Subkingdom | Dikarya | ||
Division | Basidiomycota (club fungi) | ||
Subdivision | Agaricomycotina (jelly fungi, yeasts, and mushrooms) | ||
Class | Agaricomycetes (mushrooms, bracket fungi, puffballs, and allies) | ||
Subclass | Agaricomycetidae | ||
Order | Polyporales (shelf fungi) | ||
Family | Irpicaceae | ||
Genus | Irpex | ||
There is wide disagreement about the family to which the genus Irpex belongs. NCBI places it in Irpicaceae, Fungi Growing on Wood (Gary Emberger, Messiah College) in Phanerochaetaceae, Encyclopedia of life in Polyporaceae, MushroomExpert in Steccherinaceae, and until 2019, Index Fungiforum placed it in Meruliaceae. Index Fungiforum very recently transferred Irpex to the family Irpicaceae. |
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Synonyms |
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Boletus cinerascens Boletus tulipiferae Coriolus lacteus Coriolus tulipiferae Daedalea diabolica Hirschioporus lacteus Hydnum lacteum Irpex bresadolae Irpex diabolicus Irpex hirsutus Irpex lacteus Irpex pallescens Irpex sinuosus Irpiciporus lacteus Irpiciporus tulipiferae Microporus chartaceus Microporus cinerascens Polyporus chartaceus Polyporus tulipiferae Polystictus bresadolae Polystictus chartaceus Polystictus cinerascens Polystictus cinerescens Polystictus tulipiferae Poria cincinnati Poria tulipiferae Sistotrema lacteum Steccherinum lacteum Trametes lactea Xylodon bresadolae Xylodon hirsutus Xylodon lacteus Xylodon pallescens Xylodon sinuosus |
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Common Names |
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Milk-white Toothed Polypore |
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Glossary
Resupinate
In fungi: referring to the fruiting body lying flat on the surface of the substrate, without a stalk or a cap.
Saprobic
Obtaining nutrients from non-living organic matter, such as decaying plant or animal matter.
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Created: 10/15/2019
Last Updated: