''Trametes versicolor''also known as ''Coriolus versicolor'' and ''Polyporus versicolor''is a common

polypore Polypores are a group of fungi that form large fruiting bodies with pores or tubes on the underside (see Delimitation for exceptions). They are a morphological group of basidiomycetes-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi, and not all polyp ...

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

found throughout the world. Meaning 'of several colors', ''versicolor'' reliably describes this fungus that displays a variety of colors. For example, because its shape and multiple colors are similar to those of a

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally ...

, ''T. versicolor'' is commonly called turkey tail. A similar looking mushroom, commonly called

false turkey tail False or falsehood may refer to: *False (logic), the negation of truth in classical logic *Lie or falsehood, a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement * false (Unix), a Unix command * ''False'' (album), a 1992 album by Gorefest * ...

, which is from a different order, may sometimes be confused with the turkey tail mushroom due to appearance. Another lookalike is the multicolor gill polypore.

Description and ecology

The top surface of the cap shows typical concentric zones of different colors, and the margin is always the lightest. Underneath a layer of tomentum is a black layer, topping the whitish flesh. The flesh itself is 1–3 mm thick and has a leathery texture. Older specimens, such as the one pictured, can have zones with green algae growing on them, thus appearing green. It commonly grows in tiled layers in groups or rows on logs and stumps of deciduous trees, and is common in North America. The mushroom is stalkless and the cap is rust-brown or darker brown, sometimes with black zones. The cap is flat, up to 8 × 5 x 0.5–1 cm in area. It is often triangular or round, with zones of fine hairs. The pore surface is whitish to light brown, with pores round and with age twisted and labyrinthine. 3–8 pores per millimeter. ''T. versicolor'' is a white-rot fungi which degrades

lignin Lignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form key structural materials in the support tissues of most plants. Lignins are particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, because they lend rigidity ...

from

lignocellulosic Lignocellulose refers to plant dry matter (biomass), so called lignocellulosic biomass. It is the most abundantly available raw material on the Earth for the production of biofuels. It is composed of two kinds of carbohydrate polymers, cellulose a ...

materials, such as wood. It may be eaten by caterpillars of the fungus moth ''

Nemaxera betulinella __NOTOC__ ''Nemaxera'' is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. The genus is considered monotypic, with the single species ''Nemaxera betulinella'' placed here. The species occurs in we ...

'', maggots of the Platypezid fly ''Polyporivora picta'', and the fungus gnat ''

Mycetophila luctuosa ''Mycetophila luctuosa'' is a Palearctic species of 'fungus gnats' in the family Mycetophilidae. ''Mycetophila luctuosa '' is found in forest or wooded areas where the larvae develop in ''Neolentinus lepideus'', ''Kretzschmaria deusta'', '' Cho ...

''. It is considered inedible to humans.

Similar species

Similar species include '' Trametes hirsuta'', ''T. ochracea'', '' T. suaveolens'', '' Bjerkandera adusta'', '' Cerrena unicolor'', '' Lenzites betulina'', and '' Stereum hirsutum''. Other species of '' Stereum'' are similar, typically with a smooth undersurface, as well as some species of '' Trichaptum''.

Chemistry

''Trametes versicolor'' contains

polysaccharide Polysaccharides (), or polycarbohydrates, are the most abundant carbohydrates found in food. They are long chain polymeric carbohydrates composed of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. This carbohydrate can react with ...

s under basic research, including the protein-bound PSP and β-1,3 and β-1,4 glucans. The

lipid Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids incl ...

fraction A fraction (from la, fractus, "broken") represents a part of a whole or, more generally, any number of equal parts. When spoken in everyday English, a fraction describes how many parts of a certain size there are, for example, one-half, eight ...

contains the lanostane-type tetracyclic triterpenoid sterol ergosta-7,22,dien-3β-ol as well as

fungisterol Fungisterol is a bio-active sterol Sterol is an organic compound with formula , whose molecule is derived from that of gonane by replacement of a hydrogen atom in position 3 by a hydroxyl group. It is therefore an alcohol of gonane. More general ...

and β-sitosterol. When extracting compounds from ''Trametes versicolor,'' menthol extractions have the highest levels of

polyphenol Polyphenols () are a large family of naturally occurring organic compounds characterized by multiples of phenol units. They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. Polyphenols include flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some o ...

s, and water extractions have the most

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

Uses and research

Polysaccharide-K extract

Polysaccharide-K (PSK or ''krestin''),

extracted ''Extracted'', also known as ''Extraction'' in the UK, is an independent 2012 American science fiction thriller directed and written by Nir Paniry. Sasha Roiz stars as a scientist whose consciousness becomes trapped in the mind of a convict (Dom ...

from ''T. versicolor'', is considered safe for use as an adjuvant therapy for cancer treatment in Japan where it is known as ''kawaratake'' (roof tile mushroom) and approved for clinical use. As a

glycoprotein Glycoproteins are proteins which contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to amino acid side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as g ...

mixture, PSK has been studied in

clinical research Clinical research is a branch of healthcare science that determines the safety and effectiveness ( efficacy) of medications, devices, diagnostic products and treatment regimens intended for human use. These may be used for prevention, treat ...

in people with various

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...

s and immune deficiencies, but its efficacy remains inconclusive, as of 2021. In some countries, PSK is sold as a dietary supplement. Use of PSK may cause

adverse effect An adverse effect is an undesired harmful effect resulting from a Pharmaceutical drug, medication or other Surgery#Definitions, intervention, such as surgery. An adverse effect may be termed a "side effect", when judged to be secondary to a main ...

s, such as

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin ...

, darkened

feces Feces ( or faeces), known colloquially and in slang as poo and poop, are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a rela ...

, or darkened finger nails.

FDA warnings

In 2020, the United States

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

(FDA) issued warning letters to two manufacturers for advertising misbranded ''T. versicolor'' PSK supplements as anti-cancer or immune therapy

drugs A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalat ...

, stating such products "are not generally recognized as safe and effective for the above referenced uses and, therefore, these products are 'new drugs' under section 201(p) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 321(p). New drugs may not be legally introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce without prior approval from the FDA." ''Trametes versicolor'' may be used in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logica ...

or other

herbalism Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedie ...

practices.

Gallery

Image:Schmetterlingstramete_Trametes_versicolor_001.jpg, ''T. versicolor'' covering a stump Image:Schmetterlingstramete Trametes versicolor 004.jpg, Close up of ''T. versicolor''. Image:Trametes_versicolor_2.jpg, Color variation of ''T. versicolor'' on the same tree stump Image:Trametes.versicolor4.-.lindsey.jpg, Pale specimens Image:Schmetterlingstramete_(Trametes_versicolor)_-_hms(1).jpg, Brown variety Image:Trametes_versicolor_different_colours.jpg, Pale and brown varieties side by side File:Schmetterlingsporling (Coriolus versicolor).jpg, Brown variety in higher magnification File:Tramete versicolor.jpg, ''T. versicolor'', pale variety

References

External links

''Trametes versicolor''
at Mushroom-Collecting.com {{Taxonbar, from=Q753833 Fungi described in 1753 Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Inedible fungi Medicinal fungi Polyporaceae Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus