Nigroporus vinosus

Appearance

The fruit bodies of ''Nigroporus vinosus'' are annual to perennial. Their caps are leathery to smooth, and sometimes has concentric zones. The colour is reddish-brown to purplish-brown to dark violet. Pores on the cap underside any minute, numbering seven or eight per millimetre; the tubes are up to 3 mm long. The pore surface has the same colours as the cap. The tough context, coloured dark brown to reddish brown, is pliable when fresh but become brittle when dry. The spore print is white. The odour and taste of the context are indistinct.

The hyphal system of ''Nigroporus vinosus'' is variable. According to E.J.H. Corner, "Some collections appear to be almost trimitic; others are dimitic and, yet, others are almost monomitic with elongate intercalary skeletal cells." There are no cystidia in the hymenium. The spores are small, measuring 3–4.5 by 1–1.5 µm. They are smooth and thin-walled, hyaline , with an allantoid to broadly ellipsoid shape. They are unreactive with Melzer's reagent. The basidia are thin walled and club shaped, measuring 6–10 by 3–4 µm.

Naming

''Nigrofomes melanoporus'' is somewhat similar in appearance to ''Nigroporus vinosus''. Known from tropical regions and from Florida, this fungus has a larger cap that is up to 20 cm wide, a hard dark brown to purplish black cap surface, a dark brown to blackish pore surface with pores arranged in a honeycomb, and ellipsoid spores measuring 4–5 by 3–3.5 µm.

Distribution

''Nigroporus vinosus'' is a white rot fungus that typically grows on the decaying wood of hardwood trees, although it has also been recorded growing on pine. Fruit bodies occur singly, in groups, or in overlapping clusters.

The fungus has been recorded from Central America, South America, Cuba, Papua New Guinea, China, India, the Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, and Micronesia. In Africa, it is widespread but not common. It is the only species of ''Nigroporus'' found in North America.

Habitat

''Nigroporus vinosus'' is a white rot fungus that typically grows on the decaying wood of hardwood trees, although it has also been recorded growing on pine. Fruit bodies occur singly, in groups, or in overlapping clusters.

The fungus has been recorded from Central America, South America, Cuba, Papua New Guinea, China, India, the Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, and Micronesia. In Africa, it is widespread but not common. It is the only species of ''Nigroporus'' found in North America.