Trembling Crust
Merulius tremellosus
Life > Fungi > Basidiomycota > Agaricomycotina > Agaricomycetes > Polyporales > Meruliaceae > Merulius
Description
The Trembling Crust (Merulius tremellosus) is a decomposer of wood and is usually found growing on the side of large fallen tree trunks. It fruits in the late spring through fall and overwinters as a dried up version of its former self.
The hymenophore features an array of patterns appearing wrinkled, pocketed, or angularly poriod with colors of red, pink, or purple. The spore print is white.
It can sometimes form a cap when angled appropriately alongside the tree, appearing as both a shelf and a crust (a form called effused-reflexed).
Observations
September 27th, 2023 Indian Cave State Park

434
habitat: Lignicolous (on wood)
growth habit: Gregarious (growing as a group)
Spore Print: white
GTCGTAACAAGGTTTCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGGAAGGATCATTATCGAGTTTTTGAAACGGGTTGTCGCTGGTCCCATTCTTAACAGAGTCGGGACATGTGCACACCTGGCTTCATTCCACTCTTCAACCCCTGTGCACTTGTTGTAGGTTTCAGGTCGGACGCGGGGCTTTCGACTTCATCGTCGAGAGCTTCAAGGAAAGCCTGAGCCTATGTTTTACTACACACACGCTTCAGTTATAGAATGTAAACATCGCGTATAACGCATTTTAAATACAACTTTCAGCAACGGATCTCTTGGCTCTCGCATCGATGAAGAACGCAGCGAAATGCGATAAGTAATGTGAATTGCAGAATTCAGTGAATCATCGAATCTTTGAACGCACCTTGCGCTCCTTGGTATTCCGAGGAGCATGCCTGTTTGAGTGTCATGGAATTCTCAACCTTTGAAAGCTTTTATCGGTTCTCAAAGGCTTGGACTTGGAGGTCGTGTCGGCTCTGCAAAGAATATCGACTCCTCTGAAACGTATCAGTGCGAACCTTTACGGATCGTCTTCGGTGTGATAAACGTCTACGCCGTGGTCGTGAAGTATGATCGTGTCCGTGCTTCTAACCGTCTCCTTTGCGAGACAAAAACTGTGTTACTTACTATAAGTAACGTAGGCATTGACAATCTGACCTCAAATCAGGTAGGACTACCCGCTGAACTT
October 25th, 2023 Indian Cave State Park

488
- Growing on large fallen hardwood log (potentially Northern Red Oak).
- Spore Print: white
GTCGTAACAAGGTTTCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGGAAGGATCATTATCGAGTTTTTGAAACGGGTTGTCGCTGGTCCCATTCTTAACAGAGTCGGGACATGTGCACACCTGGCTTCATTCCACTCTTCAACCCCTGTGCACTTGTTGTAGGTTTCAGGTCGGACGCGGGGCTTTCGACTTCATCGTCGAGAGCTTCAAGGAAAGCCTGAGCCTATGTTTTACTACACACACGCTTCAGTTATAGAATGTAAACATCGCGTATAACGCATTTTAAATACAACTTTCAGCAACGGATCTCTTGGCTCTCGCATCGATGAAGAACGCAGCGAAATGCGATAAGTAATGTGAATTGCAGAATTCAGTGAATCATCGAATCTTTGAACGCACCTTGCGCTCCTTGGTATTCCGAGGAGCATGCCTGTTTGAGTGTCATGGAATTCTCAACCTTTGAAAGCTTTTATCGGTTCTCAAAGGCTTGGACTTGGAGGTCGTGTCGGCTCTGCAAAGAATATCGACTCCTCTGAAACGTATCAGTGCGAACCTTTACGGATCGTCTTCGGTGTGATAAACGTCTACGCCGTGGTCGTGAAGTATGATCGTGTCCGTGCTTCTAACCGTCTCCTTTGCGAGACAAAAACCGTGTTACTTACTATAAGTAACATAGGCATTGACAATCTGACCTCAAATCAGGTAGGACTACCCGCTGAACTT
November 14th, 2024 Schramm Park

Not Collected. Growing on the underside of fallen hardwood log in mixed oak woodland.
References
Kuo, M. (2008, December). Phlebia tremellosa. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/phlebia_tremellosa.html