Fomitopsis betulina

Fomitopsis betulina

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Polyporales
Family: Fomitopsidaceae
Genus: Fomitopsis
Species:
F. betulina
Binomial name
Fomitopsis betulina
(Bull.) B.K.Cui, M.L.Han & Y.C.Dai (2016)
Synonyms
  • Boletus betulinus Bull. (1788)
  • Piptoporus betulinus (Bull.) P.Karst. (1881)
Fomitopsis betulina
Pores on hymenium
No distinct cap
Hymenium is decurrent
Lacks a stipe
Spore print is white
Ecology is parasitic
Edibility is inedible

Fomitopsis betulina (previously Piptoporus betulinus), commonly known as the birch polypore, birch bracket, or razor strop, is a common bracket fungus and, as the name suggests, grows almost exclusively on birch trees. The brackets burst out from the bark of the tree, and these fruit bodies can last for more than a year.