The genus Gloeophyllum is characterized by the production of leathery to corky tough, brown, shaggy-topped, revivable fruitbodies lacking a stipe and with a lamellate to daedaleoid or poroid fertile hymenial surfaces. The hyphal system is dimitic

Hypha

A hypha is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or...

 to trimitic

Hypha

A hypha is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or...

. The genus is further characterized by the production of a brown rot

Dry rot

Dry rot refers to a type of wood decay caused by certain types of fungi, also known as True Dry Rot, that digests parts of the wood which give the wood strength and stiffness...

 of wood. Phylogenetically, it along with several other brown rot Basidiomycota

Basidiomycota

Basidiomycota is one of two large phyla that, together with the Ascomycota, comprise the subkingdom Dikarya within the Kingdom Fungi...

, Neolentinus, Heliocybe

Heliocybe

Heliocybe is an agaric genus closely allied to Neolentinus and the bracket fungus, Gloeophyllum, all of which cause brown rot of wood. Heliocybe sulcata, the type and sole species, is characterized by thumb-sized, tough, revivable, often dried, mushroom fruitbodies, with a tanned symmetric pileus...

, and Veluticeps

Veluticeps

Veluticeps is a small genus of wood-rot fungi characterized by the production of resupinate to bracket shaped, perennial, tough, brown fruitbodies, that blacken when KOH solution is applied, and with a smooth to warted or cracked fertile undersurface. They cause a brown rot of wood. Cystidia in the...

form an order

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

 called the Gloeophyllales

Gloeophyllales

Gloeophyllales is a phylogenetically defined order of wood-decay fungi that is characterized by the ability to produce a brown rot of wood. It includes a single, identically defined family, the Gloeophyllaceae, in which are included the genera Gloeophyllum, Neolentinus, Heliocybe, and Veluticeps....

.

The most frequently encountered species in the Northern Hemisphere

Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...

 is Gloeophyllum sepiarium

Gloeophyllum sepiarium

Gloeophyllum sepiarium is a wood decay fungus that causes a brown rot. Gloeophyllum sepiarium grow in thin, dark brown/green brackets on coniferous trees. Fruiting bodies can be seen throughout the year, but it sporulates in late summer to autumn...

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~gbarron/MISC2004/gloeophy.htm, which is commonly found in a dried state on both bark

Bark

Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...

-covered and decorticated

Bark

Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...

 conifer

Pinophyta

The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...

 stumps

Tree stump

After a tree has been cut and felled, the stump or tree stump is usually a small remaining portion of the trunk with the roots still in the ground. Stumps may show the age-defining rings of a tree. The study of these rings is known as dendrochronology....

 and logs, timbers

Lumber

Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....

 on wharf

Wharf

A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...

s, planks

Lumber

Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....

 on unpainted wooden buildings, wood bridges, and even creosote

Creosote

Creosote is the portion of chemical products obtained by the distillation of a tar that remains heavier than water, notably useful for its anti-septic and preservative properties...

d railroad tie

Railroad tie

A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...

s.

Etymology

The name Gloeophyllum combines "gloeo-" a reference to anything sticky, and "-phyllum", a reference to the lamellae. It is probably a combined reference to the fact the lamellae in the type species, G. sepiarium

Gloeophyllum sepiarium

Gloeophyllum sepiarium is a wood decay fungus that causes a brown rot. Gloeophyllum sepiarium grow in thin, dark brown/green brackets on coniferous trees. Fruiting bodies can be seen throughout the year, but it sporulates in late summer to autumn...

, and other original species, appeared to be stuck together forming anastomosing bridges, to the point of forming a daedaleoid pattern. There is nothing sticky about the actual fungal fruitbodies. The name was originally spelled Gleophyllum but was soon changed and the current spelling is sanctioned.