Aspen Fomes
Phellinus tremulae
Phellinus tremulae, the aspen bracket, is a species of polypore fungus in the family Hymenochaetaceae that grows on Populus tremula and on trembling aspen in Canada. The species was first described as Fomes igniarius f.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phellinus_tremulae
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Hymenochaetales
Family
Hymenochaetaceae
Genus
Phellinus
Aspen Fomes belongs to the family Hymenochaetaceae, order Hymenochaetales, within the Agaricomycetes class.
Species Profile
Phellinus tremulae, the aspen bracket, is a species of polypore fungus in the family Hymenochaetaceae that grows on Populus tremula and on trembling aspen in Canada. The species was first described as Fomes igniarius f. tremulae by Appollinaris Semenovich Bondartsev in 1935. It causes the disease Aspen trunk rot.
Aspen Fomes faces significant threats from habitat loss due to deforestation and forest management practices that reduce the availability of its host trees. Climate change poses additional risks by altering forest composition and affecting the health of aspen populations that this fungus depends upon for survival.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
This parasitic fungus occurs exclusively on aspen trees (Populus tremula and related species) in temperate and boreal forests across northern regions. It typically inhabits mature aspen stands where it forms bracket-like fruiting bodies on living and dead aspen wood.
Threats
Forest management practices reducing host availability
Habitat loss from deforestation
Air pollution affecting forest ecosystems
Climate change impacts on host tree populations
Fragmentation of suitable forest habitats
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Aspen Fomes (Phellinus tremulae). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/aspen-fomes