''Ischnoderma resinosum'' is a species of

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...

in the family

Fomitopsidaceae The Fomitopsidaceae are a family of fungi in the order Polyporales. Most species are parasitic on woody plants, and tend to cause brown rots. The name comes from ''Fomitopsis'' (meaning "looking like Fomes") + ''-aceae'' (a suffix used to form t ...

. Commonly known as the late fall polypore, resinous polypore, or benzoin bracket, this shelf mushroom is across, velvety, dark red/brown, darkening and forming zones in age. Its spongy but tough, sweet-smelling flesh exudes a red liquid when young. This fungus fruits on

hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...

logs and stumps in late autumn. A widely distributed species, it has been recorded from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. The species was originally described as '' Boletus resinosus'' in 1794 by German botanist Heinrich Schrader. It has acquired an extensive synonymy in its

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

history, having been juggled between several

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

Petter Karsten Petter Adolf Karsten (16 February 1834 – 22 March 1917) was a Finnish mycologist, the foremost expert on the fungi of Finland in his day, and known in consequence as the "father of Finnish mycology". Karsten was born in Merimasku near Turku, s ...

transferred it to ''

Ischnoderma ''Ischnoderma'' is a genus of polypore fungi. Species in the genus have dark brown and tomentose fruit bodies that become darker brown to black and smooth when mature. The genus, widespread in temperate regions, contains an estimated 10 species. ...

'' in 1879 to give it the name by which it is currently known. Young, soft specimens may be cooked and eaten, but the species becomes hard and unpalatable later in life. ''Ischnoderma benzoinum'' is similar and has darker flesh.

References

Fomitopsidaceae Fungi described in 1794 Fungi of Africa Fungi of Asia Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Edible fungi Taxa named by Heinrich Schrader (botanist) {{Polyporales-stub