Content
Cerioporus mollis is a representative of a wide variety of wood-growing fungi. Its other names:
- Datronia soft;
- The sponge is soft;
- Trametes mollis;
- Polyporus mollis;
- Antrodia is soft;
- Daedaleopsis is soft;
- Cerrena is soft;
- Boletus substrigosus;
- Snake sponge;
- Polyporus Sommerfelt;
- Sponge Lassbergi.
Belongs to the family Polyporidae and the genus Cerioporus. It is an annual mushroom that develops during one season.
The fruiting body has a very interesting appearance
What does Cerioporus soft look like?
The young mushroom has an irregularly rounded shape in the form of a button-growth. As the fruiting body matures, it occupies new areas. It spreads over large areas, up to a meter or more, often covering the entire available diameter of the host tree. The fruiting body can take on a wide variety of bizarre shapes.The outer edges of the cap grown to the wood are thin and slightly raised. Wavy-folded, often smooth, like wax, or velvety. The hat can be 15 cm or more long and 0.5-6 cm thick.
The surface of the cap is coarsely rough; in young specimens it is covered with velvety scales. Has relief notches. The colors are soft and very varied: from white-cream and beige to coffee with milk, light ocher, honey-tea. The coloring is uneven, with concentric stripes, the edge is noticeably lighter. Overgrown soft cerioporus darkens to a brownish-brown, almost black color.
The surface of the cap with characteristic relief stripes
The spongy surface of the spore-bearing layer is often turned upward. It has an uneven, folded structure with a thickness of 0.1 to 6 mm. The color is snow-white or pinkish-beige. As it grows, it darkens to gray-silver and light brown. In overgrown fruiting bodies, the tubes become pinkish-ocher or light brown. The pores are of different sizes, with dense walls, angular-irregular, often elongated in shape.
The pulp is very thin, reminiscent of good leather. The color is yellowish-brown or brown, with a black stripe. As the mushroom grows, it becomes woody, the flesh becomes hard and elastic. Possible slight apricot aroma.
The white, cobweb-like coating is washed off when it rains, leaving the pores open.
Where and how does it grow
Cerioporus soft is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but it can be rarely found. It is also found in South America.It settles on dead and rotting wood of exclusively deciduous species - birch, poplar, beech, maple, willow, oak, alder and aspen, walnut. May take a liking to damaged, drying trees, fences or fences.
The mycelium bears fruit abundantly from August until late autumn, when frost sets in. Not demanding on weather conditions, humidity and sun.
The fruiting body can sometimes be overgrown along the contour with green epiphytic algae
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Cerioporus soft is classified as an inedible species due to its hard, rubbery flesh. The fruiting body has no nutritional value. No toxic substances were found in its composition.
Doubles and their differences
The fruiting body of Cerioporus softus is quite easy to distinguish from other types of tree mushrooms due to its characteristic outer surface and pores. No similar doppelgängers were found.
Conclusion
Cerioporus soft settles exclusively on deciduous trees. It can be found in forests, parks and gardens of Russia, in areas with a temperate climate. Individual specimens of the colony merge into a single body of a bizarre shape as they grow. Due to the hard, tasteless pulp, it has no nutritional value. Classified as inedible mushrooms. The mushroom is easily recognizable at any time of the year, so it has no doubles. Cerioporus softis is rare in Europe and is included in the lists of endangered and rare species in Hungary and Latvia. The fungus gradually destroys the wood, causing dangerous white rot.
