Fungi

=__**Fungi **__=

**Description:** The fruiting body (the part of the fungus producing spores) of this eye-catching fungus grows upon trees living or downed. Called a shelf fungus because it is sessile (growing without a stalk), it is fan-shaped, can grow up to 60cm broad and 10 cm thick with a grey to brown-spore covered, crusty, irregular surface. The edge begins rounded, but narrows as the fungus matures. The underside is white with pores, with 4-6 per mm, and tubes that grow in layers separated by brown, one per year. This white underside darkens upon injury. The flesh within is dark and woody.

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**Habitat:** Found across the North American continent on hardwoods and conifers, both living and dead. 

 **Ecology:** This fungus lives perennially in groups or alone as a saprobe or a parasite, meaning it can derive its food from the breakdown of a dead host tree (a saprobic lifestyle) or a living one (a parasitic lifestyle). It commonly causes a white rot or heart rot in it's living host. It releases it's spores to the wind in the fall. They are microscopic, thickened and spiny.


 * Anatomy**

**Cool Facts:** Called the Artist's Conk or Fungi because the white pore surface beneath can be etched and, remember the characteristic browning caused by injury? Well there you have a white "canvas" with a brown image preserved forever.

VIDEO media type="youtube" key="XrWiAKJCZWE?fs=1" height="385" width="640"

//The fungi kingdom//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=BIO304

//Characteristics of fungi//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.uwlax.edu/biology/volk/fungi3/sld009.htm