Fomitopsis quercina

Oak Mazegill, Thick-walled Maze Polypore

The oak mazegill, a tough bracket fungus that causes brown rot, mainly in dead oak. Its white to tan pore surface starts with round pores that break into thick-walled, maze-like slits. Recent molecular work moved it to Fomitopsis.

Species profile

Edibility

Not edible

Inedible; too tough to eat. Historically used as a comb and for grooming horses.

Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.

Habitat

Brown-rot decomposer, mainly of dead oak (Quercus); also recorded on American beech, white ash, black walnut and American elm.

Distribution

Europe (nearly all countries), North America, Asia from the Caucasus to India, northern Africa and Australia.

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Characteristics

Fruit body: Sessile, fan- or bracket-shaped, 3-20 cm wide and up to 8 cm thick; single or in tiered groups; corky to woody. Upper surface: Shades of brown, sometimes zoned. Pore surface: White to tan; pores round at first, then elongating into thick, blunt-walled maze-like slits; tubes 10-30 mm long. Spore print: White. Spores: Smooth, elliptical, 5-7 x 2-4 um. Key features: Thick maze-like pore walls on oak.

Species profile

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