Fungi ID

[tracy]

What is this fungi please?

http://peplers.blogspot.com/2008/06/charcoal-kiln-test-and-stuff-thats.html

Scroll down (or read) the post on charcaol making, we have a photo of a HUGE mushroom thing growing on an Ash tree.

Any ideas? I guess this might be Bryans domain....!

[BryanBullen]

Your humongous fungus is Polyporus squamosus (Dryad\'s Saddle), a common bracket fungus which I tell the kids is a pixie\'s seat. It\'s not amongst the poisonous mushrooms, and is said to be edible, but I wouldn\'t bother personally. There are many more tasty and attractive things around!

Bryan

[moonwood]

my favorite is the Chicken of the Woods ,found on trees,which i have had recently,but is best young when still juicy,our wood is rye area and later in the year we get Chanterelles which are nice.

[tracy]

You are in the Rye area? So are we! Nice area!

[Chris]

We get birch polyphore in our wood which is also called razor strop fungus-good for final honing of sharp tools. On our dead ash we often get \'King Alfred\'s Cakes\' which are little dark brown dry round fungi. When dry this is good for getting fires going. Edible fungi we have seen are oyster mushroom, parasol mushroom and wood blewits. We also had some ceps one year. I don\'t know if the weather has been unsuitable, or if people are gathering them all, but I have not seen very many of the edible ones the last year or so.

Chris W