# Polypore (*Polyporales*)

Polypores are special mushrooms that grow on trees. They have pores instead of gills underneath their caps. Some polypores are used in traditional medicine or to start fires.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Polypore](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ganoderma_applanatum02.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Eric Steinert, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ganoderma_applanatum02.jpg)

## Appearance

The Polypore has a shelf-like or bracket-like fruiting body, often growing flat against wood. Its distinguishing feature is a pore-filled underside instead of gills, ranging in color from white to browns, oranges, or yellows. These fungi often have a tough, leathery, or woody texture.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Polyporales
- **Family:** Polyporaceae

## Interesting facts

- One type of polypore can grow so big it weighs more than a bowling ball!
- Scientists are researching if certain polypores can help break down plastics!
- Some ancient humans used dried polypores to carry fire, like a slow-burning ember!
- You can sometimes count growth rings on a polypore to guess its age, like a tree!

## Special abilities

- **Nature's Recycler:** Polypore can break down tough dead wood because it has enzymes that help them recycle nutrients back into the forest soil.
- **Woody Armor:** Polypore has a very tough and woody texture that helps them resist decay and last for many years on trees.
- **Spore Cloud:** Polypore can release trillions of tiny spores because its underside is packed with pores, helping them spread far and wide.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 2-25 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 5-60 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Year-round
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Eastern gray squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Squirrels nibble on some polypore species.
- **Parasitizes:** Red Oak (*Quercus rubra*) — Some polypores cause decay in living oak trees.
- **Shelter:** Red wood ant (*Formica rufa*) — Ants use larger brackets for shelter.
- **Eaten by:** [Great capricorn beetle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-capricorn-beetle) (*Cerambyx cerdo*) — Beetle larvae tunnel into its tough fruiting body.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Never eat mushrooms you find in the wild unless an adult says it's safe. Some mushrooms can make you sick.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Polypore?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Polypore?

2-25 cm

### Is Polypore edible?

inedible

### How big is Polypore?

5-60 cm

### Where is Polypore usually found?

Forests

### What does Polypore grow on?

wood

### When is Polypore in season?

Year-round

### What color are Polypore spores?

White

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Polypore: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/polypore)