Tufted Bracket

The fruiting bodies of this species are semicircular or shell-shaped, with dimensions of 12–30 centimetres (4+1⁄2–12 in) broad by 4–10 cm (1+1⁄2–4 in) long. The brackets are typically 1–3 cm (1⁄2–1 in) thick, although it can be considerably thicker at the point of the broad attachment to the tree. Ryvarden and Gilbertson give maximum fruiting body dimensions of 46 cm (18 in) wide by 28 cm (11 in) long by 11 cm (4+1⁄2 in) thick. The fruiting body margin is rounded, and sometimes wavy, felt-like or tomentose on the flattened upper surface, which is typically orange-brown to rusty-brown in color. The color of the lower pore-bearing surface is cinnamon-, rust-, or olivaceous-brown, and there are 5 to 6 pores per millimetre.

Microscopic features. Basidiospores are ovoid or ellipsoid, hyaline, smooth, with dimensions of 4–6 × 3–4 μm. The basidia are club-shaped, 4-spored, with dimensions of 14–16 × 5–6 μm.

Modern identification techniques. Production of visible fruiting bodies by F. torulosa does not happen until long after the tree has been initially infected, as it takes some time for the fungal mycelia to colonize the host. For this reason it often escapes detection until it is too late to save the tree. …

Although its preferred host is Quercus, Fuscoporia torulosa has been reported growing on a variety of hardwood trees: Acer, Arbutus, Calluna, Castanea, Celtis, Ceratonia, Cercis, Cistus, Citrus, Cornus, Crataegus, Cydonia, Erica, Eucalyptus, Euonymus, Fagus, Fraxinus, Grevillea, Helianthemum, Juglans, Laurus, Malus, Melaleuca, Morus, Myrtus, Olea, Ostrya, Parrotia, Phillyrea, Pistacia, Pittosporum, Populus, Prunus, Punica, Pryus, Robinia, Rosa, Salix, Spartium, Ulex, Ulmus, Viburnum, Vitis, and more rarely, conifers like Cedrus, Cupressus, Larix, Picea, and Pinus. Recently, F. torulosa has been reported as infecting more than 160 species of plants; most of these infections results in the plant's premature death.