Major Groups > Polypores > Stemmed, Pale-Fleshed > Albatrellus confluens

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Albatrellus confluens

[ Basidiomycetes > Polyporales > Albatrellaceae > Albatrellus . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

Albatrellus confluens is a terrestrial polypore found under conifers across North America in a wide variety of ecosystems. It has a beautiful pale orange cap, a creamy pore surface with tiny pores, a sturdy stem, and a white spore print--and these features, combined with the habitat under conifers, are probably enough to separate the species from look-alikes. For those who have more than a casual interest and want to identify Albatrellus confluens with more certainty, the fact that specimens develop brick red shades when dried, combined with microscopic details (see below), will provide additional identification support.

Description:

Ecology: Mycorrhizal with conifers in a wide variety of ecosystems; usually growing gregariously; summer and fall; widely distributed in North America.

Cap: 3-20 cm across; irregular in outline; loosely convex, flat, or irregular; often fused; dry; smooth, sometimes becoming somewhat cracked with age; pale orange, pinkish buff, or orangish, becoming various shades of tan--or frequently green as a result of algal growth (see the illustrations). Some populations of Albatrellus confluens in the Rocky Mountains, according to Gilbertson & Ryvarden (1986), develop bluish areas.

Pore Surface: Descending the stem; white to creamy; sometimes staining faintly greenish or yellowish; 3-5 pores per mm; tubes to 5 mm deep.

Stem: 3-6 cm long; 1-3 cm wide; usually a little off-center; whitish, developing tan (or sometimes greenish) discolorations; smooth.

Flesh: Whitish; fairly soft when fresh.

Odor and Taste: Odor not distinctive or slightly fragrant; taste mild or cabbage-like and slightly foul.

Chemical Reactions: Surfaces purple with KOH.

Spore Print: White.

Dried Specimens: Developing reddish colors on all surfaces.

Microscopic Features: Spores 4-5.5 x 2.5-4 µ; smooth; elliptical; weakly amyloid. Gloeoplerous hyphae scattered; staining with phloxine; with swollen areas. Clamp connections present.


REFERENCES: (Albertini & Schweinitz, 1805) Kotlaba & Pouzar, 1957. (Fries, 1821; Saccardo, 1888; Overholts, 1953; Smith, 1975; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1981; Arora, 1986; Gilbertson & Ryvarden, 1986; Evenson, 1997; Barron, 1999; McNeil, 2006; Miller & Miller, 2006; Kuo, 2007.) Herb. Kuo 08080508.


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Albatrellus confluens

Albatrellus confluens

Albatrellus confluens

Albatrellus confluens

Albatrellus confluens

Albatrellus confluens



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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2007, April). Albatrellus confluens. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/albatrellus_confluens.html