#7 Amauroderma rude

Amauroderma rude is a fungus with a fascinating feature - its white pores turn bright rusty-red upon touch, making it an easy fungus to identify.

Amauroderma rude, common name Red-staining Stalked Polypore, is from the family Ganodermataceae. Pronunciation: Amour-oh-der-ma rue-day. It appears to be a common fungus in small numbers in the rainforests of the southern section of Barrington Tops National Park where I go fungus hunting.

According to Fungimap of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, the distribution of the Red-staining Stalked Polypore includes southeastern Queensland, eastern NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, and southeastern South Australia.

A young Red-staining Stalked Polypore which appears to be 'sweating'. Also notice how a twig has been embedded in the fungus as it grew. This fungus also appears to be infected by another fungus or slime mould.

Pores are small (1 to 4 pores per millimetre)

Cap is flattened with a central depression, is woody, has concentric zones of varying shades of brown or orange-brown, and is usually slightly velvety. I have seen caps up to 130mm diameter.

The stem is brown, irregularly shaped, tough and woody. I have seen stems up to about 120mm high, but apparently they can reach 160mm in height.

A close up of pores of Amauroderma rude

As is indicated by the common name of Red-staining Stalked Polypore, the white pores stain bright rusty-red upon touch. Even a gentle touch as in the image above, will stain the pores immediately. With time, the staining will turn almost black.

A 130mm specimen with red bruising turning blackish

Amauroderma rude grows singly or in small groups on rotting timber in damp forests, is long-lasting and turns black with age.

Hard, rough, brown cap with concentric zones

My sightings of Amauroderma rude

[This will be updated with more sightings]

Barrington Tops National Park - rainforest, on fallen rotting logs - Apr.

Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, Heatherbrae, NSW - mulched garden - Jul

Brunkerville, NSW - on buried wood, mixed forest Jun 2011, May 2012

Notice the irregular, knobbly, velvety stems, and 'wavy' perimeter of the cap