· Often called bracket fungi, shelf fungi, and conks
· Fruitbodies with small, cylindric tubes on the underside of the cap
· Spores are discharged through pores at the end of the tubes
· Most grow on wood with a few found growing on soil or humus
· Most are hard and woody, corky, or leathery
· Unlike boletes the tube layer does not separate easily from the cap
· Most are inedible – no known fatalities have occurred as a result of ingesting polypores