Scientific name: Cerrena unicolor (Bull.) Murrill
Derivation of name: Cerrena is from an Italian fungus
name; unicolor means "of one color."
Synonymy: Daedalea unicolor Bull.:Fr.
Common names: Mossy maze polypore.
Dr. Don Davis
(personal communication) suggests that
mossy maze
polypore is a misnomer since moss is rarely found on the
caps of this fungus. Algae
is much more frequent. Perhaps
a better common name for
this species is "algae-topped
maze polypore" or something similar.
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Order: Polyporales
Family: Polyporaceae
Occurrence on wood substrate: Parasitic or saprobic;
forming overlapping clusters most often on deciduous trees,
stumps, and logs; year-round.
Dimensions: Caps are 0.5-10 cm wide.
Upper surface: White to grayish or grayish-brown;
densely hairy; zonate; often algae-covered.
Pore surface: White to smoky; typically becoming maze-
like to tooth-like.
Comments: Cerrena unicolor may be sessile, effused-
reflexed or rarely almost entirely resupinate on horizontal
surfaces. If cut or torn, a thin black zone (appearing as
a line) separates the flesh of the cap from the surface.
There is a remarkable relationship between this
fungus and two wasp species.
Information on this
relationship is available at the website below.
More information at MushroomExpert.com:
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Figure 1. Overlapping caps of mossy maze polypore with
algae-covered caps. Photo © Tom Volk.
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Figure 2. A young specimen with brownish cap and without
algae.
Photo © Gary Emberger.
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Figure 3. These herbarium specimens don't look a lot
different
from mature living specimens or from dead
specimens in the field.
Photo © Gary Emberger.
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Figure 4. Note the conspicuous pubescence, green algae, and
zonate appearance of this cap. Photo © Gary Emberger.
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Figure 5. The pores quickly become maze or tooth-like.
Photo © Gary Emberger.
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Figure 6. This Cerrena unicolor specimen was collected
during a NEMF
foray. The green algae-covered caps are
not unusual but the orange-colored pore surfaces are. An
orange-colored ascomycete fungus, Hypomyces aurantius,
is responsible. See Figure 7. Photo © Gary Emberger.
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Figure 7. The orange (and whitish) mycelium of Hypomyces
aurantius
covers most of the pore surface. The fungus is
considered a facultative saprotroph, meaning that it can exist
as a saprotroph or parasite. It is found on a variety of agaric
and polypore species and on wood and decaying litter.
Photo © Gary Emberger.
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