Cauliflower Fungus
(Brain Fungus, or Lurid Sparassis)
Description
Fruit-body globose to cushion-shaped, cauliflower-like or like a natural sponge, 10-50 x 10-30 cm, 10-15 cm high. Branches lobed, leaf-shaped to broad spatula-shaped, curly, smooth, cream or pale ochre to dark yellow-brown, margin turning brown. Stem short, yellow-brown. Flesh tough, pale yellow. Smell pleasantly sweetish.
Spore-print colour white to pale yellow.
Edible.
Occurrence
Fairly common on roots of coniferous trees on (loamy) sandy soil.
Parasitic.
Related and/or similar species
- Sparassis spathulata = Sparassis laminosa (Endangered (Red Data List, ed. 1)) on roots of deciduous and coniferous trees.