Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail)

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The fruit body is a polypore that grows, shelf-like, out of wood. The fruit bodies are fan-shaped to semi-circular, may extend to several centimetres beyond the wood surface but are generally no more than 5 millimetres thick at the edge attached to the wood. The upper surface is concentrically banded and some bands may be finely hairy (velvety to the touch), others smooth. The colours may be shades of brown, yellow, orange or greyish blue (rarely a more pronounced blue) with the outer edge usually whitish. The creamy underside is covered with pores, about 4-5 per millimetre, and you may need to use a handlens to see them for sure.

Sometimes you see a greenish colour in the cap – algae. The hairy zones can trap algal spores and since the hairy areas can hold moisture they provide an algally-friendly microhabitat.

This is a cosmopolitan species, found growing on a wide variety of live or dead wood, in a wide variety of habitats. The fruit bodies often appear in large numbers, densely packed and overlapping.

Look-alikes

Stereum fruit bodies may show similar concentric banding but they are smooth on their undersides and, ideally, use a handlens to check this!

Trametes versicolor is listed in the following regions:

Canberra & Southern Tablelands | Southern Highlands | South Coast