Gloeophyllum odoratum

(Wulfen) Imazeki

A mature fruiting body on a conifer stump in Kungalv, Sweden.
Growing on an old railway sleeper within an overground section of the London underground network
A bracket growing on the upper surface the sleeper and over a leaf
Moss covering mature brackets
The underside of a mature bracket

A mature fruiting body on a conifer stump in Kungalv, Sweden.
Growing on an old railway sleeper within an overground section of the London underground network
A bracket growing on the upper surface the sleeper and over a leaf
Moss covering mature brackets
The underside of a mature bracket

Common name

Anise mazegill.

Often found on

conifers (notably pine).

Sometimes found on

Treated timber (such as railway sleepers).

Location

Found on stumps and fallen stems – rarely on treated sleepers, fence posts, etc.

Description

Perennial. Tough and woody. Strong aniseed smell. Upper surface begins a striking orange-brown. Older brackets are a darker purple-brown to algal-stained green and rimmed with orange. Pore layer off-white and becoming cinnamon-orange. Somewhat maze-like – pores otherwise generally elongated.

Confused with

None.

Significance

Attributed to a brown rot of the wood. No research has been undertaken on pathogenicity. Very infrequently found in the UK. Finds should therefore be recorded, photographed, and reported to Kew Gardens’ mycological section. Do not take samples. When found on treated wood, the timber should be replaced, should it serve a structural or infrastructural purpose.