Polyporus squamosus

[ Basidiomycetes > Polyporales > Polyporaceae > Polyporus . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

This polypore is frequently found by morel hunters in the spring, who find it growing on stumps and dead trees. It is easily recognized by its colors, the scales on the cap, the black and velvety stem base, and its strongly mealy smell. It is edible; I have tried it in desperation after searching for morels and coming up with nothing else . . . Um, I can't say I recommend it. It is rather tough and chewy, and the strongly mealy smell turns out, wonder of wonders, to correlate to a strongly mealy taste. Still, I know several people who swear they actually like it, so it's your call.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic on decaying hardwood logs and stumps and parasitic on living hardwoods (in my area it is especially fond of silver maple and box elder); causing a white heartrot; growing alone or, more typically, in clusters of two or three; typically found in spring, but also sometimes found in summer and fall (even in winter); east of the Rocky Mountains.

Fruiting Body: 5-30 cm broad, up to 4 cm thick; variable in shape but generally fan-shaped or almost funnel shaped; pale tan to creamy yellowish (darkening in age), with an overlay of darker, brownish scales that are often vaguely radially arranged; with a substantial and tough lateral stem that blackens as the mushroom matures, at least towards the base.

Pores: Large, angular, and frequently irregular; whitish to cream; pore surface not bruising or discoloring.

Flesh: Thick; soft when young but soon corky and tough, especially towards the stem; white.

Spore Print: White.

Microscopic Features: Spores 10-16 x 4-6 µ; smooth; broadly elliptical to oblong.

REFERENCES: Fries, 1821. (Overholts, 1953; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1981; Arora, 1986; Gilbertson & Ryvarden, 1987; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Roody, 2003.) Herb. Kuo 04199501, 04209501, 09040101.

Further Online Information:

Polyporus squamosus at Roger's Mushrooms
Polyporus squamosus at Fungi of Poland

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2004, November). Polyporus squamosus. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/polyporus_squamosus.html