Hemlock Varnish Shelf

These bracket fungi were photographed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They appear to be in the subgenus Ganoderma of the Ganoderma genus in the Polyporaceae family. This genus is known as the Artist's Brackets, Reishi, and Allies and the subgenus is commonly referred to as the Ganoderma Lucidum Complex. I thought that these fungi are Ganoderma sessile, mainly as none of the fungi that I saw on the tree or on the ground appeared to have a stipe. It has been suggested that they are instead Ganoderma tsugae - hemlock varnish shelf because they are growing on an eastern hemlock tree (Tsuga canadensis).
Pleasing fungus beetles were seen on and around these fungi.

For a taxonomic tree and links to other fungi posted on Wild Florida Photo see the Fungi at Wild Florida Photo page.