Turkey Tail
Trametes versicolor
Life > Fungi > Basidiomycota > Agaricomycotina > Agaricomycetes > Polyporales > Polyporaceae > Trametes
Description
Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) is a common decomposer of wood and can be found year-round. The caps present concentric zones of color and are sometimes quite vivid. They are commonly velvety or fuzzy on top, especially when fresh. The zones contrast with varying degrees of fuzziness. It grows in groups that "shelf" or overlap on top of each other.
The hymenophore presents small round pores when young, commonly transitioning into more angular or "tooth-like" pores with age throughout the season. The spore print is whitish.
Many other small shelf fungi can look similar, therefore Michael Kuo offers the Totally True Turkey Tail Test to separate other species.
Ethnomycology
Turkey Tail Tea and other extractions have been used as an immunity booster during times of cold and infection.
Observations
July 11th, 2023 Indian Cave State Park
#189
- Growing in clusters on Shagbark Hickory log on ridgetop in mixed oak/hickory woodland.
- Cap hirsute with concentric bands, some almost blueish.
- Hymenium composed of white circular pores that lightly bruise brown.
- Smell: sweet
- Taste: earthy
- KOH: intensifying colors on cap surface (orange and blueish)
GTCGTAACAAGGTTTCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGGAAGGATCATTAACGAGTTTTGAAACGAGTTGTAGCTGGCCTTCCGAGGCATGTGCACGCTCTGCTCATCCACTCTACCCCTGTGCACTTACTGTAGGTTGGCGTGGGCTCCTTAACGGGAGCATTCTGCCGGCCTATGTATACTACAAACACTTTAAAGTATCAGAATGTAAACGCGTCTAACGCATCTATAATACAACTTTTAGCAACGGATCTCTTGGCTCTCGCATCGATGAAGAACGCAGCGAAATGCGATAAGTAATGTGAATTGCAGAATTCAGTGAATCATCGAATCTTTGAACGCACCTTGCGCTCCTTGGTATTCCGAGGAGCATGCCTGTTTGAGTGTCATGGAATTCTCAACTTATAAATCCTTGTGATCTATAAGCTTGGACTTGGAGGCTTGCTGGCCCTTGTTGGTCGGCTCCTCTTGAATGCATTAGCTCGATTCCGTACGGATCGGCTCTCAGTGTGATAATTGTCTACGCTGTGACCGTGAAGTGTTTTGGCGAGCTTCTAACCGTCCATTAGGACAACTTTTTAACATCTGACCTCAAATCAGGTAGGACTACCCGCTGAACTTView MycoMap DNA Results
October 25th, 2023 Indian Cave State Park
486
Spore Print: white
AAGTCGTAACAAGGTTTCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGGAAGGATCATTAACGAGTTTTGAAACGAGTTGTAGCTGGCCTTCCGAGGCATGTGCACGCTCTGCTCATCCACTCTACCCCTGTGCACTTACTGTAGGTTGGCGTGGGCTCCTTAACGGGAGCATTCTGCCGGCCTATGTATACTACAAACACTTTAAAGTATCAGAATGTAAACGCGTCTAACGCATCTATAATACAACTTTTAGCAACGGATCTCTTGGCTCTCGCATCGATGAAGAACGCAGCGAAATGCGATAAGTAATGTGAATTGCAGAATTCAGTGAATCATCGAATCTTTGAACGCACCTTGCGCTCCTTGGTATTCCGAGGAGCATGCCTGTTTGAGTGTCATGGAATTCTCAACTTATAAATCCTTGTGATCTATAAGCTTGGACTTGGAGGCTTGCTGGCCCTTGTTGGTCGGCTCCTCTTGAATGCATTAGCTCGATTCCGTACGGATCGGCTCTCAGTGTGATAATTGTCTACGCTGTGACCGTGAAGTGTTTTGGCGAGCTTCTAACCGTCCATTAGGACAACTTTTTAACATCTGACCTCAAATCAGGTAGGACTACCCGCTGAACTTAAGView MycoMap DNA Results
May 13th, 2024 Fontenelle Forest
573
- Growing on fallen American Hop Hornbeam in low spring fed oak woodland draw.
References
Kuo, M. (2017, November). Trametes versicolor. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/trametes_versicolor.html
Created April 2, 2025 at 6:53 PM and last updated April 2, 2025 at 6:53 PM