Image of Meripilus giganteus (Pers.) P. Karst. 1882

Description:

Slo.: črneča velezračenka - Habitat: Light, mixed, predominantly hardwood woodland, dominant Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies, Quercus sp., Fraxinus excelsior, Corylus avellana; nearly flat terrain, cretaceous clastic rock (flysh), partly rain protected by trees canopies, mostly in shade, precipitations ~3.000 mm/year, average temperature 8-10 deg C, elevation 480 m (1.575feet), alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: a large stump and roots of a cut down tree in its final stage of disintegration; tree species undistinguishable; most probably Fagus sylvatica, but possibly also Quercus sp. (several trees growing in the vicinity). - Comments: Growing solitary (probably a single mycelium), however in three groups of pilei on the same tree; they were about 1 m (3 feet) apart, the largest group about 40 cm (16 inch) in diameter; taste strong, mushroomy, unpleasant; smell slightly unpleasant, indistinctive; flesh strongly fibrous; SP whitish; pore surface bruising when handled, first ochre, then brown, then blackish, but not fast, the process takes several ten minutes. - Spores smooth. Dimensions: 5.7 (SD= 0.3) x 4.8 (SD= 0.2) μ, Q= 1.2 (SD= 0.06), n= 30. Olympus CH20, NEA 100x/1.25, magnification 1.000 x, oil, in water.AmScope MA500 digital camera. - Herbarium: Mycotheca and lichen herbarium (LJU-Li) of Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, Ljubljana, Index Herbariorum LJF - Ref.: (1) S.Buczacki, Collins Fungi Guide, Collins (2012), p 505. (2) R.Phillips, Mushrooms, Macmillan (2006), p 301. (3) G.J.Krieglsteiner (Hrsg.), Die Grosspilze Baden-Wrttembergs, Band 1, Ulmer (2000), p 547. (4) M.Bon, Parey'sBuch der Pilze, Kosmos (2005), p 314. (5) R.Lueder, GrundkursPilzbestimmung, Quelle& Meyer (2008), p 338. (6) R.M. Daehncke, 1200 Pilze in Farbfotos, AT Verlag (2009), p 1065.