Polypore

Polypores are a group of tough, leathery poroid mushrooms similar to boletes, but typically lacking a distinct stalk. The technical distinction between the two types of mushrooms is that polypores do not have the spore-bearing tissue continuous along the entire underside of the mushroom. Many polypores are bracket fungi. The polypore growth form exists in many different evolutionary lines of higher basidiomycetes. Although many polypore species are members of the Polyporales, there are many polypores that belong to other groups as well.

Polypores are often found on rotting logs^[1], and are rot-resistant to the extent that they themselves often last long enough for moss to grow on them. Rot-resistance is due to the mushroom's ability to produce compounds with anti-pathogenic activity.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Generally, this family includes thirty genera.

• Abundisporus
• Daedaleopsis
• Fibroporia
• Gloeophyllum
• Haploporus
• Laetiporus (example : Laetiporus sulphureus)
• Loweporus
• Panus
• Perenniporia
• Polyporus
• Poria
• Pycnoporus
• Pycnoporellus

Edible polypores are commonly found in nature and according to mycologist Steve Brill, there are no reports of poisonous species ^[1]. Some polypores have been used in ritual and for utilitarian purposes for ages; the famous Ötzi the Iceman was found carrying two different polypore species. Piptoporus betulinus was notable for its antibacterial properties. The other, Fomes fomentarius, although also having medicinal properties, was likely used for starting fires.^[7]

Two medicinal mushroom polypores in use today are Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi or Lingzhi) and Trametes versicolor. Beyond their traditional use in herbal medicine, contemporary research has suggested many applications polypores for the treatment of illnesses related to the immune system and cancer recovery.

In studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, some polypore mushrooms have been found to be useful in treating a wide variety of ailments, including bacterial infections, viral infections, cancer, allergies, diabetes mellitus, and neurological problems.^[8]

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  Polypores growing on the trunk of a birch tree.
• 
  Polypore on a dead Cedar tree.
• 
  Colorful Trametes versicolor growing on a fallen hardwood log.
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  Polypores growing upon a fallen tree.
• 
  Tinder Bracket (Fomes fomentarius).