Bracket fungi, or
shelf fungi, are among the many groups of
fungi that comprise the phylum
Basidiomycota. Characteristically, they produce shelf- or bracket-shaped or occasionally circular
fruiting bodies called
conks that lie in a close planar grouping of separate or interconnected horizontal rows. Brackets can range from only a single row of a few caps, to dozens of rows of caps that can weigh several hundred pounds. They are mainly found on
trees (living and dead) and
coarse woody debris, and may resemble
mushrooms. Some form annual fruiting bodies while others are perennial and grow larger year after year. Bracket fungi are typically tough and sturdy and produce their spores, called
basidiospores, within the pores that typically make up the undersurface.