# Berkeley's Polypore

*Bondarzewia berkeleyi*

This species is one of the largest polypores in North America; a single clustered specimen can grow over two feet wide and weigh up to 50 pounds.

- **Taxonomy:** Fungi › Basidiomycota › Agaricomycetes › Russulales › Bondarzewiaceae › Bondarzewia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Temperate deciduous forests, growing at the base of mature hardwood trees, particularly oaks.
- **Diet:** Parasitic on living tree roots (causing white butt rot) and saprophytic on dead wood.
- **Range:** North America, East Asia
- **Size:** Clusters can reach 25 to 60 cm in diameter and weigh up to 22 kg.
- **Lifespan:** Fruiting bodies last for a few weeks to a month, while the underground mycelium can live for decades.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Deforestation, clear-cutting of old-growth oak forests, and removal of host trees.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. Safe to touch and observe. While young, tender specimens are edible, older mushrooms become extremely tough and bitter. Never consume any wild fungus without expert identification.

## About

Bondarzewia berkeleyi , commonly known as Berkeley's polypore , or stump blossoms , is a species of polypore fungus in the family Russulaceae. It is a parasitic species that causes butt rot in oaks and other hardwood trees. A widespread fungus, it is found in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/0226ddce-abdd-4df2-b607-30eff13d5df5
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/84224
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bondarzewia berkeleyi
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/85601017/medium.jpeg (Mark Richman, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.