A few weeks back I was out golfing here in Wisconsin before winter returned. While playing, I noticed these large mushrooms growing on a dead tree. I'm always looking for kool things to blog about, and I would also learn something when I do the research.

"Artist's Conk" Fungi

Ganoderma applanatum, AKA "artist's conk", is a bracket fungus with a cosmopolitan distribution. This mushroom can be found in every state in the United States and every Canadian province at nearly every time of the year. This species or its relatives also occur on just about every continent (except Antarctica). This fungus grows as a mycelium within the wood of living and dead trees. It forms fruiting bodies that are up to 12–39 inches across, hard as leather, woody-textured, and inedible in raw form. They are white at first but soon turn dark red-brown. Brown spores are released from the pores on the underside of the fruiting body. The fruiting bodies are perennial, and may persist for multiple years, increasing in size and forming new layers of pores as they grow.

Why called "Artist's Conk"?

A peculiarity of this fungus lies in its use as a drawing medium for artists. When the fresh white pore surface is rubbed or scratched with a sharp implement, dark brown tissue under the pores is revealed, resulting in visible lines and shading that become permanent once the fungus is dried.