''Rhodofomes roseus'' is a species of pink

polypore Polypores, also called bracket or shelf fungi, are a morphological group of basidiomycete-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi that form large fruiting bodies called conks, which are typically woody, circular, shelf- or bracket-shaped, ...

found in western North America and Europe. This is a close relative of another species of pink conk, the rosy conk ('' Rhodofomes cajanderi).'' While ''R. cajanderi'' is a plant pathogen, ''R. rosea'' is a

detritivore Detritivores (also known as detrivores, detritophages, detritus feeders or detritus eaters) are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus (decomposing plant and animal parts as well as feces). There are many kinds of invertebrates, ...

Habitat

''Rhodofomes roseus'' grows in western North America, most often in spruce forests. Specimens from Vancouver Island, Prince George, and Wells Gray Park have helped characterize the species. This conk grows exclusively on dead wood, with a preference for logs of ''

Picea A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' is the sole genus ...

'', ''

Pseudotsuga ''Pseudotsuga'' is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Common names for species in the genus include Douglas fir, Douglas-fir, Douglas tree, Oregon pine and Bigcone spruce. ''Pseudotsuga menzies ...

''. or ''

Populus ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...

'' species. It causes a brown cubical rot.

Identification

''Rhodofomes roseus'' is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

fungus. It is

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

, meaning it is immobile and attached at the base without the presence of a stalk or peduncle. It often grows in a hoof or fan shape, with a smooth surface. The top of the conk can be a pale pink fading to a grey or brown colour, while the bottom is a pale pink. The inside of the conk, known as the context, is fibrous and woody, and may have layers of brown or pink colour. It has round pores, with 3-5 pores per millimeter. ''Rhodofomes roseus'' is thicker than its close relative, ''Rhodofomes cajanderi''

References

Fungal plant pathogens and diseases rosea Fungi described in 1805 Fungus species {{plant-disease-stub