This distinctive fungus produces a rosette-like sporophore at the base of old veteran and ancient trees. It is root saprotroph largely restricted to Quercus (particularly Q. robur and Q. petraea), but also recorded in association with Fagus, Castanea, Fraxinus and Aesculus. It is most frequently found in wood pasture, open forest and sometimes parks. The species is largely found in lowland temperate Europe extending in small numbers to the Mediterranean.  The distribution of P. multizonata is reasonably large (estimated EOO +/- 3,000,000 km2) but highly localised within its range and known from c.200 localities. 
The stronghold for the species is in southeast England, accounting for an estimated 75-80% of localities for the species, possibly due to the large proportion of veteran oak relative to the rest of Europe. The New Forest, Hampshire is of global significance for P. multizonata. Across its range, the number of functional individuals is comfortably <10,000 and plausibly <2,500.  At the majority of localities it is known from a single functional individual. 
Over the past 50 years (3 generations), the number of veteran oak (and other tree species) have declined and grazed wood pasture and open woodland have declined significantly in Europe reducing the available habitat for P. multizonata. A cautious estimate of habitat loss is estimated at least 30% corresponding to a suspected equivalent population reduction (in AOO). While losses of old veteran trees to land use change has reduced substantially, there is a substantial age gap but there is a suspected continued net loss in old veteran trees due to natural mortality and insufficient numbers of trees replacing them. A conservative estimate is that decline in veteran trees will continue by at least 10% over the next 3 generations. Further compounding this issue is the emerging threat of Acute Oak Decline which is causing significant mortality of suitable oak in P. multizonata’s core area of England, with trees in wood pasture disproportionately impacted by the disease.
The number of old mature oak in wood pasture and open forest has declined by at least 30% over the past 100 years with corresponding population reduction in P. multizonata. This decline is ongoing and expected to continue into the future and is therefore assessed as VU A2c+3c+4c; C1

This striking species produces large rossete-like basidiomata growing on the ground. Some records of Cotylidia pannosa (Sowerby) D.A. Reid are mistakenly attributed to P. multizonata, but the former differs in having smaller basidiomata and lacking gloeocystidia on the upper pileus surface (Sjökvist et al. 2012).

This distinctive fungus produces a rosette-like sporophore at the base of old veteran and ancient trees. It is root saprotroph largely restricted to Quercus (particularly Q. robur and Q. petraea), but also recorded in association with Fagus, Castanea, Fraxinus and Aesculus. It is most frequently found in wood pasture, open forest and sometimes parks. 
The species is largely found in lowland temperate Europe extending in small numbers to the Mediterranean.  The distribution of P. multizonata is reasonably large (estimated EOO +/- 3,000,000 km2) but highly localised within its range and known from c.200 localities.  The distribution of P. multizonata is reasonably large (estimated EOO +/- 3,000,000 km2) but highly localised within its range and known from c. 170 localities (AOO <10,000).  The stronghold for the species is in southeast England, accounting for an estimated 75-80% of localities for the species, possibly due to the large proportion of veteran oak relative to the rest of Europe. The New Forest, Hampshire is of global significance for P. multizonata.
Across its range the majority of localities are known from a single functional individual.
Over the past 80 years (3 generations), the number of veteran oak (and other tree species) have declined and grazed wood pasture and open woodland have declined significantly in Europe reducing the available habitat for P. multizonata. A cautious estimate of habitat loss is estimated at least 30% corresponding to a suspected equivalent population reduction (in AOO). While losses of old veteran trees to land use change has reduced substantially, there is a substantial age gap but there is a suspected continued net loss in old veteran trees due to natural mortality and insufficient numbers of trees replacing them. Further compounding this issue is the emerging threat of Acute Oak Decline which is causing significant mortality of suitable oak in P. multizonata’s core area of England, with trees in wood pasture disproportionately impacted by the disease.

Criteria A
The number of old mature oak in wood pasture and open forest has declined by at least 30% over the past 100 years with corresponding population reduction in P. multizonata. This decline is ongoing and expected to continue into the future and is therefore assessed as VU A2c + 3c + 4c.
Criteria B
In the period 1975-2025, there are an estimated 170 localities. Uncertainty around the number of unknown localities are estimated to be rather low, as this fungus is very striking, habitat availability is low at European level and is generally known only from high quality sites. Assuming there could be 2 times as many localities (340 localities) and each locality representing a tetrad, a conservative estimate of AOO is 680-1360km2 (<2,000km2).  There is a continuing inferred decline in AOO and the extent of habitat (net loss of old oak).  While the population is dispersed, it is unlikely to be severely fragmented and the number of locations is likely to equivalent to the number of localities due to site-level threats being most prevalent (though AOO may reduce this significantly in the near future). This leads to assessment of NT B2b(ii,iii).

Criteria C
The vast majority of localities appear to contain very few functional individuals. Assuming 2-10 functional individuals at each locality and assuming 2 times as many localities as currently known (340 localities) to account for uncertainty, gives an estimated population size of 680-3,400 functional individuals. The number of functional individuals is comfortably <10,000 and plausibly <2,500.  The decline in habitat is projected to continue by at least 10% over the next 50 years (3 generations) due to the net loss of suitable host trees, and so assessed as VU C1. 
Subpopulations are assumed to be separated by 500km leaving 3 sub-populations: 2 very small isolated populations in Sicily and southern Spain, and one for the rest of Europe comprising 95-100% of the population. Based on this evidence, P. multizonata could be EN C2a(ii) (population <2,500) or LC (population <10,000).

Criteria D
The number of functional individuals is estimated at 680-3,400.  It could be <1,000, though <2000 functional individuals seem more plausible and comfortably <10,000, and so D NT-LC.

Podoscypha multizonata is distributed predominantly in Europe.  It is also recorded from Asia (East Russia) and N. America but material has not been compared with European type and may constitute a different species. In Europe its distributed in the lowlands of Western, Central and South Europe; mainly in temperate zone, but also present in the Mediterranean. The stronghold of P. multizonata in Europe appears to be in the south-east of Great Britain, where the number of localities is higher than the rest of the World combined. The New Forest in southern England hosts the largest population by some magnitude. It is very localized and rare in continental Europe. The records from some countries should be checked and might be referrable to the look-a-like Cotylidia pannosa. Subpopulations are assumed to be separated by roughly 500km leaving 5 sub-populations: 4 very small isolated populations in Romania, Croatia Sicily and southern Spain, and one for the rest of Europe comprising 95-100% of the population. Based on this evidence, P. multizonata could be EN C2a(ii) (population <2,500) or LC (population <10,000).

Based on records between 1975-2025 (GBIF, 2026; LAFF,2020; The British Mycological Society, 2009), the EOO is estimated to be ~3,000,000km2 and AOO is <10,000km2.

The populations have and continue to decline due to changes in forest and tree management, land-use and host-tree disease. In the period 1975-2025, there are an c.170 known localities with c.75-80% in GB (c.134 localities), c.8-15% in France with the remaining records predominantly from elsewhere in Europe. Records of P. multizonata from N. America and East Asia (Russia) account for <1% of localities. Uncertainty around the number of unknown localities are estimated to be rather low, as this fungus is very striking, habitat availability is low at European level and is generally known only from high quality sites. The vast majority of locations appear to contain very few functional individuals. Assuming 2-10 functional individual at each locality and assuming 2 times as many localities as currently known (340 localities) to account for uncertainty, gives an estimated population size of 680-3,400 functional individuals.
P. multizonata is strongly associated with veteran and ancient trees, predominantly oak. The number of such trees has declined significantly over the past 100 years due to changes in forestry practice (e.g. plantation forestry and infill of wood pasture) and agricultural intensification that have led to their removal. Over the past 50 years, net loss of veteran trees has continued though data on the scale is weak. As with other fungi dependant on veteran oak in Europe, a cautious estimate might be 30-50% in a 80 year perspective, which is compounded by the generation gap between old veteran trees and the cohort that will replace them. The decline in habitat is projected to continue by at least 10% over the next 50 years (3 generations) due to the net loss of suitable host trees, and so assessed as VU C1. 

The species is associated with old Quercus and occasionally Fagus, and rarely Castanea, Carpinus, Fraxinus and Aesculus trees. It occurs on the ground by large trees, as a saprotroph or putatively weak root parasite (though evidence for the latter is speculative), typically in open forest and wood pasture and sometimes parks. In GB Quercus robur and Q. petrea are listed as the host of approximately 85% of records (Wright, 2023).  Associated with Quercus suber in the Mediterranean area (Spain).

Survival and age structures (demography) of old host trees and decreasing habitat qualities are the main threats to P. multizonata. Sometimes host trees are cut down for safety reasons in parks, but more importantly still, slight but steadily ongoing changes in management of semi-open deciduous forests and wood pasture negatively affect populations of P. multizonata . Overgrowth and densification processes of lignose vegetation are negatively influencing the populations. As subpopulations are small, scattered and consists of very few individuals at each locality, habitat fragmentation and random events are additional threats. Acute Oak Decline (AOD) is an emerging gobal threat to oak trees (Bene et al 2025).  In GB, which hosts the largest population of P. multizonata, AOD is increasing rapidly with high mortality rates in infected trees. Oak (Quercus robur/petrea) trees with AOD are often at peak maturity (rather than veteran or ancient) (Denman et al 2014) further reducing the availability of suitable host trees for P. multizonata. Important sites for P. multizonata in GB are severely impacted by the disease.

Correct management and protection of sites where P. multizonata is known is crucial for conserving the species. A continuous supply of old Fagaceae trees, Quercus spp in particular, in wood pasture and mixed and varied deciduous forest stands will be important to avoid local extinction of P. multizonata in sites where it is present today. In England, the species has been identified as a target for bespoke species recovery actions (Wilkins et al 2025) and is named as a ‘Priority Species’ in Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

There are a number of research questions for this species:
1. It should be established whether E. Asian and N. American populations belong to the European species.
2. The trends in habitat loss, specifically net turn over in veteran and ancient oak.
3. How the species can be monitored in the absence of fruitbodies e.g. through molecular methods.
4. The ecology of the species, including whether the species is genuinely parasitic.
5. Identify whether the P. multizonata can be (re)introduced to sites with mature oak though inoculation to root heartwood. 
6. Identify whether the observed fragmentation of P. mutlizonata is impacting on its genetic fitness.

No known use or trade in P. multizonata.

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Jülich, W. –1984- Die Nichtblätterpilze, Gallertpilze und Bauchpilze: 209-210. Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, New York.

Datasheets of threatened mushrooms of Europe, candidates for listing in appendix I of the convention. ECCF. https://wcd.coe.int/com.instranet.InstraServlet?command=com.instranet.CmdBlobGet&InstranetImage=1338439&SecMode=1&DocId=1464288&Usage;=

Reid, D.A. –1965- A monograph of the stipitate stereoid fungi. Beih. Nova Hedwigia 18: 150-290.

Jahn, H. & Müller, K.-H. –1976- Podoscypha multizonata (Berk. & Br.) Pat. bei Dessau (Bezirk Halle, DDR) gefunden. Westf. Pilzbr. 11: 22-26.

Sjövkist, E.; Larsson, E.; Eberhardt, U.; Ryvarden, L.; Larsson, K.-H. Stipitate stereoid basidiocarps have evolved multiple times2012. Mycologia 104(5): 1046-1055.