Frondose Bracket
(Hen of the Woods)
Description
Fruit-body annual, fan-shaped to broadly tongue- or spatula-shaped, with several leathery caps growing from a single central, repeatedly branched stem, Ø 20-50 cm. Cap 4-10 cm wide, 5-10 mm thick, with lateral stem. Upper surface fibrous-wrinkled, cream or ochre-brown to grey-brown.
Tubes 2-5 mm long, whitish. Pores 2 per mm, circular to polygonal, whitish to cream. Flesh fibrous, white. Smell pleasingly fresh.
Spore-print colour white.
Suspect.
Occurrence
At the base and on the roots or stumps of old Oak. Summer to autumn.
Parasitic.
Related and/or similar species
- Meripilus giganteus
- Polyporus umbellatus (Rare (Red Data List, ed. 1)), which exhibits more branching.