Is phaeolus schweinitzii edible?

Phaeolus schweinitzii is not edible but can be used for making dyes. There is a very interesting “subculture” of people who are interested in mushrooms and other fungi mainly because they can dye wool with them.

Is Phaeolus Schweinitzii poisonous?

Possibly poisonous. Phaeolus schweinitzii causes a brown cubical rot of the heartwood of butt and roots of living conifers. Although abhorred by foresters, it is highly esteemed by dye-makers for coloring yarn.

How to identify dyer’s polypore?

One of the best mushrooms for color is Phaeolus schweinitzii, “the dyer’s polypore”. The best time to pick and dry this mushroom is when the outer growing edge is bright yellow, with yellow-green pores underneath. When cooked with alum-mordanted wool and a 1:1 ratio, the color will be a bright yellow or gold.

What kind of tree does Phaeolus schweinitzii eat?

Parasitic on the roots of coniferous trees, particularly pines and spruces but also occasionally larches. This polypore can kill its host, whereupon it turns saprobic and feeds on the dead roots and stumps once the tree topples or is felled.

Where does p.schweinitzii live in the wild?

Decay initiated above ground can lead to branch snap or breakout. P. schweinitzii is native to North America and Eurasia, and has been identified as an exotic species in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.

What kind of dye is used in Phaeolus?

Phaeolus schweinitzii yields about what colors you would expect. The yellow edges are used as a bright yellow dye. Darker parts make a rusty brown dye. It depends on what metals are used as mordants, which serve to stick the dye molecules to the wool fibers.

Which is the only species of Phaeolus found in Britain?

Phaeolus schweinitzii is the type species of the genus Phaeolus, in which this is the only species known to occur in Britain. Some authorities place the Phaeolus genus within the family Polyporacea, but here we follow the Kew/British Mycological Society taxonomic system which places Phaeolus and hence this species within the family Fomitopsidaceae.