Habitat
This common species grows on dead deciduous wood, especially logs and stumps. It is most frequently associated with oak, though it can also be found on ash, beech, aspen, cherry, and elm. It can be found in urban areas and warm microclimates, typically growing as a solitary bracket or in small overlapping groups, where it causes a brown rot in the wood.
Photos
Appearance
- Bracket
- Ranging from 4 to 20 cm wide and 1.5 to 5 cm thick, these perennial brackets are fan-shaped, semicircular, or hoof-shaped. The upper surface is uneven, dry, and suede-like to roughened, occurring in shades of cream, beige, or ochre with gray tints, often developing concentric bands or zonation.
- Pores
- Distinctly maze-like or elongated into thick, irregular gill-like structures. They are ochraceous-cream to tan, featuring thick walls and irregular openings measuring 1 to 3 mm in diameter.
- Tubes
- Pale to dark ochre in color and measuring between 10 and 40 mm deep.
- Flesh
- Tough, corky, and almost woody in texture. The color ranges from whitish or cream to pale wood-brown or buff.
- Spore print
- White.
Sporecast is better in the app
Plan ahead with 10-day forecasts, see what people are finding nearby, get photo IDs, and track your finds.
Edibility
The flesh of this mushroom is tough, corky, or woody in texture and is considered inedible. It has a neutral flavor and a smell that is either indistinct or faintly acrid. Foragers should compare it to lookalikes such as Lenzites betulina, which has a hairier cap and thinner gills, and Daedaleopsis confragosa, which forms thinner brackets that bruise pink when scraped.
Misidentification can be fatal. Never eat a mushroom unless you're 100% sure. This information may be inaccurate. Always consult multiple sources.
Nutrient Source
SaprotrophicThis fungus breaks down dead wood, obtaining nutrients from the decaying organic matter.
Common Names
- Basque
- haritz-ardagai
- Dutch
- Doolhofzwam
- English
- Oak Mazegill
- French
- Lenzite du chêne, Dédalée du chêne
- German
- Eichenwirrling
- Norwegian
- eeksopp
- Norwegian Bokmål
- eikemusling
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- eikemusling
- Spanish
- Yesquero de roble, trametes de las encinas, lenzites de los robles, trametes de los robles, dedalea, políporo de roble, políporo de los robles y alcornoques
- Welsh
- Tagell Ddryslyd Derw
Synonyms
- Agarico-suber daedaleum
- Agaricus antiquus
- Agaricus dubius
- Agaricus labyrinthiformis
- Agaricus labyrinthiformis
- Agaricus quercinus
- Antrodia hexagonoides
- Daedalea inzengae
- Daedalea nigricans
- Daedalea quercina
- Daedaleites quercinus
- Hexagona minor
- Hexagonia minor
- Lenzites quercinus
- Merulius quercinus
- Polyporus hexagonoides
- Striglia inzengae
- Striglia quercina
- Trametes hexagonoides
- Trametes quercina