Trametes cinnabarina

Morphological Features:

Basidiocarp composed of pilei generally growing singly, sometimes imbricate. Its shape is more or less flat, semicircular, or shelf-like, and its size varies considerably, with specimens as narrow as 3 cm occurring alongside those of 10 cm or more. It is thicker at the point of attachment to the substrate, reaching up to 3 cm in thickness, whereas towards the margin it barely reaches 1 cm. It is a striking cinnabar red or orange, and the pileal surface is glabrous to slightly pubescent, weakly to not at all zoned. The margin is usually rounded and similar in color to the rest of the basidiocarp.

Hymenium poroid, with pores similar in color to the upper surface of the basidiocarp, highly conspicuous, approximately 2–3 per mm. They are generally rounded, although they may become more oblong or even somewhat angular in older specimens.

Stipe absent; it is a sessile species that attaches directly to the substrate.

Flesh thick and tough, bright orange in color, with a corky texture, rather hard. No distinct odor or taste is perceptible. It is thicker at the point of attachment to the substrate than at the margin.

Habitat:

Fruiting on wood, both on stumps and fallen branches, with a preference for deciduous trees such as beech or oak. It may appear practically year-round, being an uncommon species.

Observations:

It is a nearly unmistakable species, being the only one of its genus in Europe, easily distinguished by its striking cinnabar red or orange coloration. There is a tropical species, Pycnoporus sanguineus, which is more reddish in color and can be differentiated from this one by its dimitic hyphal system, whereas in Pycnoporus cinnabarinus it is trimitic. It bears some resemblance to the rare species Pycnoporellus fulgens, whose pileal surface is covered with long hairs.