Turkey Tail

(Trametes versicolor)

Conservation Status
Turkey Tail
Photo by Kirk Nelson
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

not listed

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Turkey Tail is a very common, widespread, wood decaying, bracket fungus. It is the most common polypore and one of the most common mushrooms in North American woodlands. It fruits in the spring and persists through the summer or fall. It is found in rows, dense overlapping clusters, or rosettes on dead logs or stumps. It is saprobic, occurring on logs and stumps of dead hardwood trees, especially oaks.

The fruiting body is a small to medium-sized, unstalked bracket. The bracket is circular, semi-circular, fan-shaped, or kidney-shaped. It can be ¾ to 4 in diameter, but is usually no more than 2¾ in diameter. It is leathery and flexible when fresh, becoming rigid and less flexible when dry. The upper surface is dry and velvety due to a dense covering of fine hairs. It is variable in color with narrow, alternating, concentric bands of white, gray, brown, yellowish-buff, reddish-brown, or black. It is also variable in texture, with alternating hairy and silky smooth zones. The margin is white or creamy when the cap is actively growing.

The underside is white to yellowish and densely covered with spore-bearing pores. The pores are minute but visible without a hand lens. There are 3 to 8 pores per millimeter. The spore tubes are no more than 1 16 deep.

The flesh is tough and leathery.

The spore print is white or yellowish.

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

False Turkey Tail (Stereum ostrea) usually forms individual brackets that do not fuse into rosettes. It is often orange above. The underside is smooth to slightly bumpy with no pores.

Smoky Polypore (Bjerkandera adusta) is usually weakly zoned in shades of gray and brown, sometimes not zoned. The margins turn brown to black on mature and older specimens. The pore surface on mature specimens is smoky gray to blackish.

 
     
 
Habitat and Hosts
 
 

Dead hardwoods, especially oaks; sometimes on wounds of live trees; rarely on conifers

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Season

 
 

Present year round but fruits in the spring

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

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

 
  10/25/2021      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Very common and widespread

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Fungi (fungi)  
  Subkingdom Dikarya  
  Phylum Basidiomycota (club fungi)  
  Subphylum Agaricomycotina (jelly fungi, yeasts, and mushrooms)  
  Class Agaricomycetes (mushrooms, bracket fungi, puffballs, and allies)  
  Subclass Agaricomycetidae  
  Order Polyporales (shelf fungi)  
  Family Polyporaceae (bracket fungi)  
  Genus Trametes  
  Species Complex Trametes versicolor Species Complex  
       
 

Four species, Trametes pubescens, Trametes ochracea, Trametes ectypa, and Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor), form a species complex. The species are morphologically very similar, differing only in the color and texture of the upperside of the bracket. They are also genetically distinct – they are not sexually compatible.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Boletus versicolor

Coriolus versicolor

Polyporus versicolor

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

Many-colored Polypore

Turkey Tail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Saprobic

A term often used for saprotrophic fungi. Referring to fungi that obtain their nutrients from decayed organic matter.

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Luciearl

 
    Turkey Tail      
 

Nancy Falkum

 
 

Fungi green and beige

 
    Turkey Tail      
 

Alfredo Colon

 
    Turkey Tail   Turkey Tail  
 

Stephanie Segner

 
 

medicinal uses: immune booster

 
    Turkey Tail   Turkey Tail  
 

Robert Briggs

 
    Turkey Tail      
 

Kirk Nelson

 
    Turkey Tail      
           
 

Turkey Tail fungus in the Cannon River Wilderness Area

 
    Turkey Tail      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
    Turkey Tail      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Tramates versicolor
Andree Reno Sanborn
 
  Tramates versicolor  
  Turkey Tails
Andree Reno Sanborn
 
  Turkey Tails  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Fall wild mushroom hunting, how to find Turkey tail,Trametes versicolor,
Earthwalker40 .
 
   
 
About

Published on Sep 30, 2012

Please comment, share, like and subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/user/Earthwalker40 then check out http://www.blogger.com/profile/16589694922742883622 These Turkey tail mushrooms, Tramates versicolor, Coriolus versicolor were found on hardwood on 9/30/2012 while fall mushroom hunting in SW Ohio. Turkey tail is a member of the medicinal mushroom group, and is a polypore which grows on wood. How to find turkey tail mushrooms.

   
  How to find Trametes Versicolor, Turkey tail mushrooms.
Earthwalker40 .
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Nov 16, 2011

Please comment, share, like and subscribe:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Earthwalker40 then check out http://www.blogger.com/profile/16589694922742883622 This is a nice flush of Tremetes versicolor / Turkey tail / wild medicinal mushrooms found in the hardwood forest of southern Ohio. These wild medicinal mushrooms are members of the Polypore family. Mushroom hunting is an exciting and healthy pastime. How to find fall wild medicinal mushrooms.

http://www.blogger.com/profile/16589694922742883622

Peace

   
  Turkey Tail Mushroom (Trametes versicolor), Dorris Ranch, Springfield, Oregon, USA
Rob Mutch
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jan 8, 2012

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trametes_versicolor

Encyclopedia of Life (EOL): http://eol.org/pages/190215/overview

   
  Health Benefits Of Turkey Tail Mushroom
Nyishar
 
   
 
About

Published on Mar 20, 2012

Website: http://nyishar.com
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/greateasternsun
Newsletter: http://nyishar.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=cb8e6b5f31713bda941ee064b&id=122f6ad8a7

An afternoon spent in the forest provided some incredible medicinal mushrooms to take home! The forest itself listened to my intention and offered this majestic medicine in a truly magical way!

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this fungus.

 
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  Luciearl
9/24/2023

Location: Fairview Twp., Cass County

Turkey Tail  
  Apricity Apricity
Fall 2021

Location: Martin County, Fairmont, MN

 
  Nancy Falkum
5/14/2018

Location: Bald Eagle Bluff SNA

Fungi green and beige

Turkey Tail  
  Alfredo Colon
Summer 2019

Location: Maplewood Nature Center

Turkey Tail  
  Stephanie Segner
8/19/2017

Location: Hennepin County

medicinal uses: immune booster

Turkey Tail  
  Robert Briggs
11/5/2016

Location: Spring Lake Park Reserve

Turkey Tail  
  Kirk Nelson
8/10/2016

Location: Fort Snelling State Park

Turkey Tail  
  Kirk Nelson
4/19/2014

Location: Cannon River Wilderness Area

Turkey Tail fungus in the Cannon River Wilderness Area

Turkey Tail  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

Binoculars


Created: 4/28/2014

Last Updated:

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