Artist’s Conk

not listed

not listed

not listed

Artist’s Conk is a common, easily recognized, perennial, wood decaying, bracket fungus. It is widespread, occuring in U.S. state and every Canadian province.

It is found singly or in small groups on most hardwood species and some conifer species. It is usually saprobic, on decaying stumps and logs, but is sometimes parasitic, near the base of injured trees.

The fruiting body is woody, usually stalkless, bracket-like, fan-shaped to slightly convex, 2⅜″ to 23½″ long, and 2″ to 4″ thick. The upper surface is dull, unvarnished, rough, and often furrowed. It is arranged in concentric zones that range from pale gray-brown to dark brown. In the fall it is often powdery with brown spores. The lower surface is white, becoming yellowish or brownish with age. It instantly turns brown when bruised and remains brown for a long time.

The pores are circular, small, 4 to 6 per millimeter, and are difficult to see without a hand lens. The spore tubes are in layers, with a new, ⅛″ to ½″ thick layer added each year.

The spores are brown or reddish brown.

Woods

Year-round

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Common and widespread

Genus
A recently published molecular phylogenetic analysis of the order Polyporales (Justo et al., 2017) resulted in a revised family-level classification of the order. The revised order moves Ganoderma and other genera formerly placed in the family Ganodermataceae into the family Polyporaceae. As of August 2023, the move has been accepted by IndexFungorum, NCBI, and iNaturalist, but not by GBIF, MycoBank, MycoPortal, or Mushroom Observer.

I found it on an old dead tree.

At the base of a live tree

On a decaying stump or log

Covered with brown spores

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

At the Westwood Hills Nature Center, we saw some life on July 22 this year.

This was all found by the A/C Christian Church of Minneapolis.

Location: Martin County, Fairmont, MN

Location: Maplewood Nature Center

Location: Jasper, MN (Rock County)

I found it on an old dead tree.