Bracket fungus

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Very colorful example of shelf fungus on a South Carolina stump.

A bracket fungus(Pycnoporus sp.) with a tough, woody cap

A bracket fungus, this one grooved and hairy, especially at the margins

Bracket fungi, or shelf fungus, are fungi, notable for bearing fruiting bodies (conk) as or in a "bracket": a grouping of individual mushroom caps that lie in a close planar grouping of separate or interconnected horizontal rows. Brackets can range from only a single row of a few caps, to dozens of rows of caps that can weigh several hundred pounds.

They are typically tough and sturdy and produce their spores on the tubes of the undersurface.

The term classically was reserved for polypores, however molecular studies have revealed some odd relationships. The Beefsteak Fungus, a well known bracket fungus, is actually a member of the agarics. Most, however, are still in the Polyporales. Other examples of bracket fungi include the Sulphur shelf, Birch Bracket, Dryad's saddle and Turkey Tail.