Birch polypore
Fomitopsis betulina · 桦剥管菌
Common拟层孔菌科❓ Inedible
Non-toxic, but woody or intensely bitter in texture — not eaten as food.
The same species can be described differently across regions and stages of maturity, and countless look-alike species cannot be told apart by eye. Never use the information on this page to judge whether a real mushroom is safe to eat.
How to Tell
- Semicircular, upper surface grayish white to pale brown, smooth with no zones
- Underside white with fine pores, margin rounded, texture like cork
- Grows only on living or dead birch
ID notes are compiled by AI from public sources, not reviewed by a mycologist, for learning only — never a basis for foraging.
Basics
- Family
- 拟层孔菌科
- Hymenium
- Pores
- Grows On
- Wood
- How Big
- 5–20 cm (overall size)
- Encounter Rate
- Common
- Habitat
- Dead or weakened birch
Easily Confused With
Tinder fungusHoof-shaped, grayish brown with concentric zonesFun Fact
Dried, its texture resembles fine leather; it was historically cut into strips for honing razors, earning it the nickname 'razor strop fungus.'