Turkeytail - Trametes versicolor

Description

Small and very variable with thin felty nad leathery brackets usually in overlapping groups. The upper surface is zonate - i.e in concentric zones of constrating colours - and can be brightly colured, but the colour varies a great deal.  The pores are small and rounded, 4 - 5 per mm., and the fertile surface is whitish or cream.  

Similar Species

Other Trametes.  Stereum species (e.g. Yellowing Curtain-crust) can look very similar, with small zonate fruitbodies, but these have a smooth under-surface without pores.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Photograph upper and lower fertile surface to show pores; note host plant and substrate

Habitat

Deciduous wood, usually stumps; typically beech, rarely conifers

When to see it

All year

UK Status

Very common and widespread in Britain.

VC55 Status

Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Turkeytail
Species group:
Fungi
Kingdom:
Fungi
Order:
Polyporales
Family:
Polyporaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
346
First record:
23/10/2004 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
05/03/2026 (Hunt, Graham)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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