Polypore

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 Polyporales, many belong to other groups.

Polypores are often found on rotting logs. They are so resistant to rot that they often last long enough for moss to grow on them. Their rot-resistance is due to the mushroom's ability to produce compounds with anti-pathogenic activity.