Sparassis crispa (Wulfen) Fr.
(Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus)

Interactions where Sparassis crispa is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
fruitbody fruitbody parasitises live root Minor Sequoia sempervirens Coastal Redwood Pinales: Cupressaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / parasite /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Cupressaceae/Sequoia sempervirens/Sequoia sempervirenscoastal redwoodliverootMinor
fruitbody fruitbody is saprobic on dead root Minor Sequoia sempervirens Coastal Redwood Pinales: Cupressaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Cupressaceae/Sequoia sempervirens/Sequoia sempervirenscoastal redwooddeadrootMinor
fruitbody fruitbody parasitises live root Minor Cedrus cedars Pinales: Pinaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / parasite /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Pinaceae/Cedrus/CedruscedarsliverootMinor
fruitbody fruitbody is saprobic on dead root Minor Cedrus cedars Pinales: Pinaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Pinaceae/Cedrus/CedruscedarsdeadrootMinor
fruitbody fruitbody parasitises live root Minor Picea spruces Pinales: Pinaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / parasite /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Pinaceae/Picea/PiceasprucesliverootMinor
fruitbody fruitbody is saprobic on dead root Minor Picea spruces Pinales: Pinaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Pinaceae/Picea/PiceasprucesdeadrootMinor
fruitbody fruitbody parasitises live root Major Pinus pines Pinales: Pinaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / parasite /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Pinaceae/Pinus/PinuspinesliverootMajor
fruitbody fruitbody is saprobic on dead root Major Pinus pines Pinales: Pinaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Pinaceae/Pinus/PinuspinesdeadrootMajor
fruitbody fruitbody parasitises live root Minor Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir Pinales: Pinaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / parasite /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Pinaceae/Pseudotsuga menziesii/Pseudotsuga menziesiiDouglas firliverootMinor
fruitbody fruitbody is saprobic on dead root Minor Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir Pinales: Pinaceae Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota, Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005
/Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Polyporales/Sparassidaceae/Sparassis crispa/Sparassis crispawood cauliflower, brain fungusfruitbody Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Pinopsida/Pinales/Pinaceae/Pseudotsuga menziesii/Pseudotsuga menziesiiDouglas firdeadrootMinor

Author & YearTitleSource
Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota517pp, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Sparassis crispa (Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Sparassis crispa (Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus) may be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesSparassis crispa (Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus)
GenusSparassis (a genus of fungi)
FamilySPARASSIDACEAE (cauliflower fungi)
OrderPOLYPORALES (polypores)
SubclassAGARICOMYCETIDAE (a subclass of basidiomycetes)
ClassAGARICOMYCETES (a class of fungi)
SubphylumAGARICOMYCOTINA (a subphylum of fungi)
PhylumBASIDIOMYCOTA (spore droppers, basidiomycetes)
KingdomFUNGI (true fungi)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Sparassis crispa (Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus)

Sparassis crispa (Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may be relevant to Sparassis crispa (Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 21 images of Sparassis crispa (Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus)

A large cauliflower-like fungus that is widespread and common, although usually seen in only small numbers. It fruits at the base of conifers, especially Pine (Pinus), where it is parasitic then saprobic on the roots, eventually killing the tree.

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