Thin Walled Maze Polypore: Identification and Uses

The thin walled maze polypore (Daedaleopsis confragosa) grows on dead and dying deciduous trees. It’s remarkable for its intricate maze-like pattern under the cap. It is not an edible species but it does have interesting medicinal potential. This is a widespread mushroom that grows across North America.

One of the key identifying features of polypore mushrooms, on the whole, is their smooth underside – no gills. However, the thin walled maze polypore and a few other species defy the norm. Instead of smooth pores, it has a beautiful and intricate maze-like design on the underside.

• Scientific Name: Daedaleopsis confragosa (formally Daedalea confragosa)
• Common Names: Thin-maze flat polypore, Thin walled maze polypore, Blushing bracket, Blood-stained bracket, Rugged boletus
• Habitat: Dead and dying deciduous trees
• Edibility: Inedible

All About The Thin Walled Maze Polypore

The thin walled maze polypore is a tough brown bracket that grows like a shelf from dead wood or wounded living trees. It is a white rot fungus that is vital in forest ecosystems. It breaks down lignin in wood and helps cycle nutrients naturally in woodland environments.

The scientific name Daedaleopsis confragosa comes from Greek mythology. Daedaleopsis is the legendary craftsman who designed the famous Minotaur’s maze. This name fits perfectly because the fungus’s underside has an intricate maze-like pattern that resembles Daedalus’s creation. The species name confragosa means “rough,” which describes the fungus’s tough, rugged surface texture.

King Minos of Crete asked Daedalus to build an inescapable labyrinth for the Minotaur. Daedalus, known for his architectural breakthroughs, created a complex maze filled with winding passages. The maze’s design looks strikingly similar to the intricate pore patterns on the thin-walled maze polypore’s underside.

These fungi make beautiful natural dyes. Commercial textile companies are also looking into using thin-walled maze polypores as a natural and much less toxic alternative to chemical dyes.

Thin Walled Maze Polypore Identification

Season

This mushroom fruits from June to December. In temperate locations, it can be found year-round.

Habitat

The thin walled maze polypore grows on dead deciduous trees. It is most common on willow trees but also grows on birch and other hardwoods. These mushrooms usually grow in groups, but they might also appear singularly.

Thin-walled maze polypores grow all over North America but are more common in the east.

Identification

Cap

This mushroom’s cap grows in a fan or semicircular bracket shape. It ranges in size from 2 to 6 inches across. Some specimens grow up to 8 inches in diameter, though. The body is quite thick, especially closer to the base.

The cap surface has distinct concentric zones with colors that blend from reddish-brown to gray. With age, the cap may turn blackish. The surface is dry and might be smooth to slightly hairy.

The overall appearance of this mushroom varies a lot. This may be more of a species complex than one highly variable individual. The caps are usually brownish to reddish to gray, but they also may be whitish or buff colored. And, sometimes, the pore surface doesn’t bruise red or barely bruises. Lastly, the zonal coloring isn’t always distinctive.

Pores

The underside has a distinctive maze-like network of elongated pores. The pores are white to tan and turn pink to reddish after handling. This is how it gets its “blushing” and “bleeding” common names. The pores vary between circular shapes and intricate maze-like formations.

It is called the thin-walled maze polypore because the walls between the pores are thin, i.e., the maze walls are thin.

Stem

The fruit body attaches directly to the wood substrate without a stem.

Taste and Smell

The polypore does not have any noticeable smell and tastes somewhat bitter.

Flesh Color and Staining

The flesh is corky and ranges from white to pinkish or brownish tones. When young, it is leathery and flexible. With age, though, the mushroom becomes rigid and tough.

Spore Print

This mushroom has a white spore print.

Thin Walled Maze Polypore Lookalikes

Oak Mazegill (Daedalea quercina)

This related mushroom looks like its cousin but grows mainly on oak wood. It also has thicker walls between its pores. A big difference is that the oak mazegills don’t bruise reddish when handled.

Daedaleopsis septentrionalis

It is difficult to tell this mushroom apart from the thin walled maze polypore based on the cap surface. They look basically identical, with thin bracket caps and zonal coloring. And both their pore surfaces bruise red when handled. However, D.septentrionalis grows exclusively on birch. The thin walled maze polypore sometimes grows on birch, but prefers willow trees. The pore surface of D.septentrionalis is also more gilled-looking than maze-like.

Gilled Polypore (Trametes betulina, formally Lenzites betulina)

Like the thin walled maze polypore, the gilled polypore has gills under the cap instead of a smooth surface. It also has a bracket shaped cap with zones of different colors. The primary difference is that the gills on this species are horizontal and do not form a maze pattern.

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)

The turkey tail mushroom is prized for its medicinal properties, and a lot of people hunt for it. It looks somewhat similar to the thin walled maze polypore from the top. However, all you have to do is look underneath and see the maze-like pores to see the difference. Turkey tails have a smooth pore underside. Turkey tail mushrooms also don’t bruise red when handled.

Mossy Maze Polypore (Cerrena unicolor, formerly Daedalea unicolor)

The mossy maze polypore looks a lot like the thin walled maze polypore. It has a similar maze like pore surface and grows in brackets on dead trees. The primary difference is size. Mossy maze polypores are smaller and much thinner. They are also commonly covered in green algae, something that rarely happens with thin walled maze polypores.

The maze-like pores also develop into flattened teeth as they mature. Another difference is that the mossy maze has a distinctive black line in the flesh.

Artist’s Bracket (Ganoderma applanatum)

The artist’s bracket is shaped like the maze polypore but grows much larger. The pore surface is also smooth and not maze-like. The pore surface of the artist’s bracket turns brown from scratches, not reddish like the thin walled maze polypore.

The Hairy Bracket (Trametes hirsuta)

The hairy bracket mushroom has similar colors but has a distinctly hairy cap surface. The pore surface is also smooth and not maze like.

Medicinal Uses of the Thin Walled Maze Polypore

This mushroom contains several bioactive compounds that make it a powerful healing agent. Scientists isolated 20(29)-lupin-3-one from dried fruit bodies and found it has impressive antimicrobial qualities. The compound protects against lipid peroxidation, just like prominent antioxidants.

The fungus shows great promise in cancer treatment. Polysaccharide extracts can stop specific cancer cells from growing by up to 90% in controlled studies. The methanol extract works effectively against lymphocytic leukemia cells.

The latest research points to benefits for women’s reproductive health. The fungus has compounds that regulate hormonal balance and enhance immune function. These are especially beneficial during pregnancy and menopause. Women with endometriosis might find relief through its anti-inflammatory properties.

Natural compounds like lectins and ergosterol peroxide in the blushing bracket are proving their worth in clinical trials. These substances could be better than synthetic options for sensitive patients because they might cause fewer side effects.

Common Questions About The Thin Walled Maze Polypore