# little nest polypore

*Trametes conchifer*

The sterile, cup-shaped upper surface acts as a 'splash cup,' using the kinetic energy of raindrops to eject asexual spores (conidia) several inches away.

- **Taxonomy:** Fungi › Basidiomycota › Agaricomycetes › Polyporales › Polyporaceae › Trametes
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous woodlands, specifically found on fallen hardwood twigs and branches, with a strong preference for elm.
- **Diet:** Saprobic; it decomposes lignin and cellulose from dead hardwood.
- **Range:** North America, Europe, Temperate Asia
- **Size:** 1 to 3 centimeters in width.
- **Lifespan:** Fruiting bodies persist for 6-12 months.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat loss due to intensive logging and the removal of fallen woody debris from forest floors.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. This fungus is non-toxic but too leathery to be considered edible. It can be safely handled for observation; no special precautions or medical steps are necessary.

## About

Poronidulus is a fungal genus in the family Polyporaceae. It is a monotypic genus, and contains the single polypore species Poronidulus conchifer , found in North America. The genus was circumscribed by American mycologist William Alphonso Murrill in 1904. The generic name, which combines the Ancient Greek word πόρος ("pore") with the Latin word nidulus ("small nest"), refers to the superficial similarity of the cup-shaped Poronidulus fruit bodies with those of the genus Nidularia . A second species,...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5f3841e0-0733-4f15-a2fc-0b74452b5ac4
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/880970
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poronidulus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/5573091/medium.jpeg (Kathy Richardson, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

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