A Curious Fungus on a Fallen Spruce: Meet Gloeophyllum sepiarium
A rusty-gilled wood-decay fungus turning a fallen spruce into a small world of color, texture, and decay.
Gloeophyllum sepiarium – The Ornate Coniferous Tinder Fungus
In Romania, on October 20, 2026, to be exact, in the town upstream from Budești—on the way to the monastery—Peter Lengyel photographed a mushroom on a fallen spruce trunk that I identified as Gloeophyllum sepiarium; On the online group “Fungus Identification,” the identification was confirmed by Petra Gloyn: “Yes, though it’s always useful to see the underside.”
In English, this species of mushroom is called the conifer mazegill, meaning “coniferous labyrinth gill”; in Hungarian, it is known as the lemezestapló, or “ornate gill plate”; in Romanian, it has various names such as “fence sponge,” “red wood rot fungus,” “rust-gilled polypore,” and “coniferous quick-grower.” I believe a more appropriate name might be “ornate coniferous tinder fungus.”
On the Romanian Inaturalist website, the species is recorded from about 40 locations, almost all in the Carpathian Arc and the Apuseni Mountains; outside the mountainous region, there is one record in Otopeni and one in Salonta; a high concentration of records is observed in the Apuseni Mountains, where there are 20 areas, each with a varying number of records; There are no records from Maramureș other than the two I made, but in Ukraine, across the Tisa River, there are records near Valea Vișeului and Bocicoiu Mare..v
Related stories
The Tree Pipit Captured in Stunning Photos by Peter Lengyel on the Igniș Plateau
Dop Denis Constantin · · 1 min read
Myth or Fact: Does Chicken Soup Really Help When You Have a Cold?
Studies suggest hot chicken soup can briefly ease a stuffy nose and may have a mild anti-inflammatory effect. It won't cure a cold, but it can help you feel better.
James Okafor · · 6 min read
Myth or Fact: Can Pumpkin Pie Sit on the Counter Overnight?
Homemade pumpkin pie is an egg-rich custard. The USDA says it must be refrigerated after cooling, and it shouldn't sit out for more than two hours.
James Okafor · · 5 min read