Clustered Bracket vs Shaggy Bracket

Inonotus cuticularis compared with Inonotus hispidus

Key Differences

• Clustered Bracket is Vulnerable while Shaggy Bracket is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clustered Bracket	Shaggy Bracket
Kingdom same	Fungi (mantar)	Fungi (mantar)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Bazitli mantarlar)	Basidiomycota (Bazitli mantarlar)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Hymenochaetales (Hymenochaetales)	Hymenochaetales (Hymenochaetales)
Family same	Hymenochaetaceae	Hymenochaetaceae
Genus same	Inonotus	Inonotus
Species	Inonotus cuticularis	Inonotus hispidus

Evolutionary Relationship

Clustered Bracket and Shaggy Bracket share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Inonotus.

Conservation Status

Clustered Bracket

VU — Vulnerable

Shaggy Bracket

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clustered Bracket	Shaggy Bracket
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clustered Bracket

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Shaggy Bracket

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clustered Bracket

Inonotus cuticularis, the clustered bracket, is a polypore fungus in the family Hymenochaetaceae that grows on living and dead hardwood trees across the northern hemisphere. The fruiting bodies are bracket-shaped, overlapping in tiered clusters, with a yellowish-brown to rusty-brown upper surface that darkens with age, and a pale to golden pore surface beneath. This species causes white heart rot in its host trees, degrading the structural integrity of trunks and major branches. It commonly attacks living oaks, beeches, and other broadleaf trees, as well as occurring on dead wood. Inonotus cuticularis is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, reflecting its association with old-growth and veteran trees that are increasingly rare in managed European and North American landscapes. The decline of old-growth forest and the removal of veteran trees from managed woodlands and parklands has reduced suitable habitat for many bracket fungi. Conservation of ancient and veteran trees is therefore important for maintaining populations of this and many other wood-decay fungi with similar old-growth associations.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States