The anamorph or asexual reproductive stage. 17 October 2020 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Fruiting Body The anamorph, or asexual reproductive stage, forms cushion like growths, which often overlap: surface woolly, whitish, with age becoming yellowish, and then brown and powdery, to about 10 cm across. This is followed by the teleomorph, or sexual reproductive stage which forms resupinate growth and brackets: upper surface velvety, white, underside white, pores angular, 3 to 4 per mm, to about 3 cm wide. Flesh Anamorph: soft, spongey, whitish, with age becoming brown and powdery. Teleomorph: firm, white. Smell Indistinct Taste Unknown Season All year but more common in late summer to winter Distribution Infrequent Habitat On dead wood from conifers, favouring stumps, and on the roots of Calluna (heather) on heaths Spore Print Chlamydospores brown, basidiospores white Microscopic Features Chlamydospores globose to irregularly ellipsoidal (5-10) x (3.5-7) µm2. Clamp connections seen in the anamorph hyphae. Basidiospores ellipsoidal, smooth (4.5-5.5) x (2-3) µm2 Edibility Inedible 
The anamorph or asexual reproductive stage. Identified by Neil Mahler. 13 November 2010 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. |