Piptoporus australiensis

Piptoporus australiensis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Polyporales
Family:	Fomitopsidaceae
Genus:	Piptoporus
Species:	P. australiensis
Binomial name
Piptoporus australiensis (Wakef.) G. Cunn.
Synonyms
Polyporus australiensis Wakef.

Piptoporus australiensis Mycological characteristics
	Pores on hymenium
	Ecology is parasitic
	Edibility is unknown

Piptoporus australiensis, commonly known as curry punk, is a polyporous bracket fungi. The common name stems from its persistent curry smell which develops with age. The white top of this large, thick bracket becomes stained pale cream to orange by the orange flesh. Deep orange-yellow pores exude copious amounts of saffron-yellow juice.

It is found in Australia, often found on dead eucalypt trees and logs, favouring fire-damaged wood.

Description

The cap is up to 20 centimetres (8 in) wide and 8 cm (3+1⁄4 in) tall, projecting up to 17 cm (6+1⁄2 in); it is irregular to semicircular, flat to convex; white then staining yellow, orange to brown; soft but tough, smooth, ridged or pitted, greasy when wet; margin smooth, incurved. There are are 1–10 pores per mm; round, angular or irregular; saffron-yellow, aging to orange, rusty-brown; weeps saffron-yellow juice when wet. There is no stem, instead being laterally attached to substrate by a broad base. There is a strong persistent curry smell when old or dry.

Bruce A. Fuhrer describes the species:

Piptoporus australiensis is usually called Curry Punk because of its persistent curry-like odour, even when old and dry. In contrast to other spongy polypores, this species appears to be immune to insect attack. The large brackets occur on logs, particularly those that have been charred by fire, causing a brown cubical rot.