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Polypus dispansus (Lloyd) Audet

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Scientific name
Polypus dispansus
Author
(Lloyd) Audet
Common names
コウモリタケ
IUCN Specialist Group
Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Russulales
Family
Incertae sedis
Assessment status
Published
Assessment date
2023-01-25
IUCN Red List Category
LC
Assessors
Susana C. Gonçalves; Susana Cunha (RBG Kew and University of Coimbrta, Portugal)
Reviewers
Gregory Mueller (Chicago Botanic Garden / IUCN SSC Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball Specialist Group)

Assessment Notes

The content on this page is fetched from The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/265979901/266021476

Justification

Polypus dispansus is a polypore known from North America and Asia. Even though this species does not appear to be common, it has a wide distribution, a potentially large area of suitable habitat and there is no evidence of population decline. Therefore, it is assessed as Least Concern (LC).

Taxonomic notes

Polypus dispansus is the only species in its genus, created using morphologic and molecular data (Audet 2010).

Geographic range

Polypus dispansus has a wide distribution in North America and parts of Asia. It has been recorded in China (Zheng and Liu 2008), Japan (not mapped), the Korean Peninsula, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (not mapped), India, the United States of America, Mexico (GBIF.org 2023) and Costa Rica (Audet 2010).

Population and Trends

Polypus dispansus has been documented as rare in China (Dai 2012), but has a wide distribution and has been recorded in more than 85 sites in North America and Asia. Considering the large area of potential habitat for this species, and following the guidelines by Dahlberg and Mueller (2011), the population size is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of mature individuals. There is no evidence of a population decline.

Population Trend: Unknown

Habitat and Ecology

Polypus dispansus is an annual species. It is usually found in association with conifers, such as Pinus sp. or Abies sp. (Canfield, 1981), but has also been recorded with angiosperms, namely Quercus incana (Ramirez et al. 2022). It has been reported as ectomycorrhizal and as saprotrophic, found growing on wood buried in the soil and causing brown rot decay (Canfield 1981, Audet 2010).

Threats

There are no major threats for this species.

Conservation Actions

No specific conservation measures are needed for this species. Further research into the ecology and trophic mode for this species would be useful to improve estimates of population size.

Use and Trade

This is an edible species, often sold in markets in China (Zheng and Liu 2008).

Source and Citation

Cunha, S.P. & Gonçalves, S.C. 2025. Polypus dispansus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T265979901A266021476. Accessed on 22 November 2025.

Country occurrence