The word ‘Polypores’ means many (poly) holes or pores. These holes are the visible terminal surface of tubes in which fertile spores are produced and subsequently released at maturity. The list of fungi below includes most fungi considered to be polypores in that they exhibit pores on their underside, the hymenium - or fertile surfaces from which spores are released. Also included in this list are some fungi that may appear from their cap surface to be polypores, but which may in fact be toothed or crust fungi. Most polypores are durable conks or shelf-fungi that grow from their mycelium within usually dead, decaying and sometimes the wood of living trees. Unlike ephemeral mushrooms, polypores tend to endure over a considerably longer period than cap and stem agarics. Most are ‘annuals’. Their fruiting bodies appear, grow and persist for about a year more or less. Others are perennials. Each year the latter create a new layer of tubes over the previous year’s tubes. These are mostly saprophytes that break down and consume wood. Some are parasites that either quickly (within a year) or more commonly slowly over many years destroy living trees. Some parasitic polypores are also saprophytes. There are also a number of polypores that are mycorrhizal with trees, such as those known currently or previously known as species of Albatrellus and of Coltricia. These do not grow from wood. They are terrestrial and emerge from their mycelium which is beneath the soil and is attached to the root tips of their tree partners.
In the past most polypores were given the genus designation “Polyporus’ and were considered to be in the taxonomic order Polyporales and the family Polyporaceae. During especially the twentieth century, mycologists determined there were distinct differences between many of them and so they placed them within new families within the Polyporales, and sometimes within families of completely different taxonomic orders. From the 1990s onward, the tool of DNA analysis has confirmed the previous placement of many polypores. Many, however, are being given new names and are being assigned to new families within and outside the Polyporales.
Maze-like pores of Trametes gibbosa
ALBATRELLUS____caeruleoporus (See NEOALBATRELLUS),____confluens, ____cristata (See LAETICUTIS)_____ovinus
ANTRODIA_____favescens,_____heteromorpha_____malicola_____variformis
BJERKANDERA adusta, _____fumosa
BOLETOPSIS____grisea (This fungus looks like a polypore with a stipe. However, it is in the Bankeraceae family)
BYSSOMERULIUS (PHEBIA)_____incarnatus
CERIPORIA_____spissa,_____tarda
CERIOPORUS_____leptocephalus,____mollis,____scutellatus, _____squamosus,_____stereoides, _____varius
CHONDROSTEREUM ____purpureum
CLIMACODON_____pulcherrimus,_____septentrionalis
COLTRICIA ____cinnamomea, ____montagnei,____perennis
CRYPTOPORUS_____volvatus
DAEDALEA_____quercina
DATRONIELLA_____scutellata (See CERIOPORUS)
FOMES_____excavatus (fomentarius)
FOMITOPORIA (Phellinus)_____hartigii
FOMITOPSIS_____betulina,_____mounceae (pinicola), _____ochracea
FULVIFOMES ____everhartii_____inermis____robiniae
FUSCOPORIA (PHELLINUS)____ferruginosa_____gilva
GANODERMA_____applanatum,_____curtisii_____sessile,_____tsugae
GELATOPORIA (See VITREOPORUS) _____dichroa
GLOEOPORUS (See VITREOPORUS)_____dichrous
HAPALOPILUS____croceus, _____rutilans (nidulans)
HYDNOPHLEBIA_____chrysorhizon
HYDNOPORIA____diffissa (corrugata), ____olivacea, ____tabacina
INONOTUS _____dryadeus,____glomeratus, _____hispidus ____obliquuis
IRPIIPORUS (Spongipellis)_____pachyodon
ISCHNODERA____benzoinum_____resinosum
LEATICUTIS (ALBATRELLUS)____cristata
LAETOPORUS_____cincinnatus, _____sulphureus
LENTINUS_____arcularius,_____brumalis,_____suavissimus (See NEOFAVOLUS)_____tigrinus
LENZITES_____betulina (See TRAMETES betulina)
NEOALBATRELLUS (ALBATRELLUS)____caeruleoporus
NEOFAVOLUS_____alveolaris_____suavissimus
PANUS_____conchatus,_____lecotei
PERENNIPORIA_____fraxinophila,_____medulla-panis_____ohioensis
PHELLINUS_____chrysoloma_____cinereus,____ferruginosus (See FUSCOPORIA)_____gilvus (See FUSCOPORIA)_____hartigii____igniarius ____tremulae
PHLEBIA_____radiata,_____tremellosa
PHLEBIOPSIS_____crassa
PICIPES_____badius,_____melanopus,_____tubaeformis
POLYPORUS _____radicatus, _____umbellatus
POSTIA____livens
PSEUDOINONOTUS (INONOTUS) ____dryadeus
PUNCTULARIA _____strigosozonata
SPARASSIS_____americana, _____spathularia
SPONGIOPELLIS (IRPICIPORUS)____pachyodon
STEREUM (Re: Russula)____sp.____complicatum____gausapatum ____hirsutum ____lobatum,____ochracea____ochraceoflavum____ostrea____sanguineolentum____striatum____subtomentosmTERANA_____caerulea
TRAMETES_____cinnabarina,_____gibbosa,_____hirsuta,_____ochracea,_____pubescens,
_____variegata,_____versicolor
TRICHAPTUM ____abietinum, ____biforme,_____laricinum, ____subchartaceum