Anise mazegill.
conifers (notably pine).
Treated timber (such as railway sleepers).
Found on stumps and fallen stems – rarely on treated sleepers, fence posts, etc.
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.
None.
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.