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Story: Fungi

Rainbow bracket fungus

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Rainbow bracket fungus

The rainbow bracket fungus (Trametes versicolor) is common on dead wood in forests and urban gardens. It grows to about 5–10 centimetres in diameter and has a velvety appearance, with distinct brown and white zones on its upper surface. Its lower surface contains thousands of pores, the ends of tubes in which spores are produced and released into the air.

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Landcare Research – Manaaki Whenua

by Peter Buchanan

© Copyright image. All rights reserved. Permission from Manaaki Whenua: Landcare Research New Zealand Limited must be obtained before the re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Peter Buchanan, Fungi – Saprobes: decomposers, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/11565/rainbow-bracket-fungus (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Peter Buchanan, published 1 March 2009.