Appearance

Appearance

Stalkless, semicircular caps about 1–3 in (2–8 cm) wide and only 1–3 mm thick. The top is velvety, with sharply contrasting rings of white, gray, brown, cinnamon, or reddish brown, often alternating fuzzy and smooth bands.

Growth form

Caps grow in dense, overlapping clusters, rows, or rosettes. Older caps fade and can turn greenish where algae grow on them.

Look-alikes

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• woods
• parks
• logs and stumps

Range

Found worldwide and widespread and common across North America.

Preferred conditions

Grows on dead hardwood logs, stumps, and fallen branches, and only rarely on conifer wood.

Seasons

In the US

JFMAMJJASOND

Fruit

Fruit Jan–Dec

Behavior

Activity

A decomposer that causes white rot, breaking down the lignin in dead wood. Fresh caps can be found year-round.

Life cycle

Reproduction

The white to pale brown underside is covered with tiny pores, about 3–6 or more per millimeter, that release a white spore print.

Cautions

Cautions

Too tough to eat as is; it is sold as teas, powders, and supplements. The FDA has not approved medicinal mushrooms as a treatment for cancer or any other condition, and supplement contents can vary from batch to batch.

Name and classification

About the name

Older books and supplement labels often call it Coriolus versicolor or Polyporus versicolor.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed

Culture and stories

Culture and stories

• The species name versicolor means "of several colors."
• In Japan, an extract called PSK (krestin) was sold alongside standard cancer treatment from 1977 until sales ended in 2017, and a similar extract, PSP, is made in China.