Image of Postia caesia (Schrad.) P. Karst. 1881

Description:

Slo.: modri skutovec - Habitat: Mixed forest, Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica dominant trees, steep mountain slope, southeast oriented; calcareous ground; sunny place but in half shade; partly protected from direct rain by tree canopies; average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 6-8 deg C, elevation 620 m (2.034 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: on cut-off surface of a small, dead trunk of Picea abies lying on ground partly still in bark, in late initial stage of disintegration. - Comments: Growing solitary; pileus 7 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm, tube layer max 1.2 cm thick; smell indistinctive; flesh soft, fibrous, watery; bruising bluish-green-gray when handled; SP none; rather old sporocarp; spores taken from pore surface using soft, moist brush. Spores seem to be somewhat too small. - Spores smooth, cylindrical and allantoid. Dimensions: 4.6 (SD = 0.3) x 1.5 (SD = 0.1) , Q = 3.14 (SD = 0.29), 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, Vena pot 2, Ljubljana, Index Herbariorum LJF - Ref.: (1) A.Bernicchia, Polyporaceaes.l., Fungi Europaei Vol.10., Edizioni Candusso (2005), p 332. (2) S. Buczacki, Collins Fungi Guide, Collins (2012), p 490. (3) M. Bon, Parey's Buch der Pilze, Kosmos (2005), p 316. (4) R. Phillips, Mushrooms, Macmillan (2006), p 313. (5) G.J. Krieglsteiner (Hrsg.), Die Grosspilze Baden-Wrttembergs, Band 1, Ulmer (2000), p 548. (6) L. Ryvarden, R.L. Gilbertson, European Polypores, part 2., Synopsis Fungorum 7., Fungiflora A/S (1994), p 435.