Dyer's Polypore

Description:

Bright orange, funnel-shaped fungus with shallow, reticulate pores. Cap is furry in texture. Base began oozing brown to copper colored liquid when broken. Fungus had bruised to a rust to violet hue after transport in a paper bag (around 30 minutes). Spore print is copper to green rust color. Despite its appearance, P. schweinitzii is a polypore that is usually found near the base of conifers (on roots). As it ages, it hardens to a woody texture, and the pore surface changes from yellow to greendarker, and the flesh becomes harder and more wood-like. P. schweinitzii is a great source of natural dye and can be utilized for the production of the colors green, yellow, gold, or brown.

Habitat:

Found growing in soil under leaf litter at the base of a ridge near the edge of a dense mixed hardwood forest.