Dryad's saddle - Cerioporus squamosus

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Edible mushroom - novice Season - spring to autumn ​ Common names dryad's saddle, hawk wing fungus, pheasant back fungus

Scientific name meaning: Cerioporus is derived from the Greek Kerion, meaning honeycomb - in reference to the formation of this fungus' pores. Squamosus is from the Latin Squama, meaning scales or with scales, in reference to the scaly appearance of the cap. Some sources still use the scientific name of Polyporus squamosus. Polyporus means with many pores

Habitat

Dryad's saddle is saprobic but can sometimes start off being weakly parasitic. It grows on dead, dying or weak broadleaf trees, particularly sycamore and ash.

Overall structure and growth

The large fruit bodies often appear stacked on top of each other. It is not unusual to find large numbers of fruit bodies together but individual specimens can also occur. This is a type of bracket fungus.

Cap

The cap size is between 10 and 60cm, sometimes larger, and shaped like a wide bicycle seat. It is cream coloured  and covered in brown scales giving an appearance similar to the feathers on a spread bird's wing.

Pores and spores

Dryad's saddle has pores that are irregularly shaped and angular. They start off white and turn cream in older specimens. They run a short way on to the stem (decurrent) and guttation (water droplets) is often seen from the pores of mature fruit bodies. The spore colour is white.

Stem

A short, stout, eccentric stem of a few centimetres attaches the fruit body to the tree. The stem has much firmer flesh than the rest of the mushroom and blackens near to its base. Sometimes several stems can be fused at their base.

​Flesh, smell and taste

The flesh is white to pale cream. The smell is similar to watermelon or cucumber, although can sometimes slightly be flour-like. The taste is mild.

​Possible lookalikes

Could be confused with the tuberous Polypore (Polyporous tubereaster), pictured, which is smaller and does not have any blackening at the base of its stem. The stem is also more centrally positioned. The tuberous polypore is also edible. 

Use as a food Best harvested when young and fresh and easy to slice with a knife (like a hot knife through butter). It should be eaten cooked, however, it does have a floral taste to it. Good seasoning is the best way to overcome this if it is too strong. Older specimens can be dehydrated and powdered to make a good mushroom stock powder. It is best to remove the pore surface as this does not powder easily with a pestle and mortar ​ Hazards None known

Use in herbal medicine and medicine None known If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner ​ Other uses None known ​ Importance to other species Provides food for a the larvae of a number of fly species

Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!

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