Latin name: Phaeolos schweinitzii
Common name: Dyer’s mazegill
it: How to spot it and where to find it: This extraordinary-looking fungus is reaching the end of its season — fruiting bodies appear from August to October. They can be found at the roots of conifers, especially Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, pine and larch. They form soft, spongy brackets, brownish in the centre, yellow on the outside, that overlap and fuse together.
Interesting facts: This large bracket fungus can kill its host, then turns saprobic and feeds on the dead roots and stumps once the tree topples or is felled. This fungal infection, sometimes referred to as Schweinitzii butt rot, can cause significant damage to forestry. The generic name comes from the prefix phae, meaning dusky or obscure, and olus, which…
