categoryZMushrooms Mushrooms List 

GIANT POLYPORE

Meripilus giganteus

Family [Meripilaceae]

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31st Aug 2011, Elenwydd Wilderness, Mid Wales. Photo: © RWD
Very similar to both Chicken-of-the-Woods and Hen-of-the-Woods but much larger than either.


31st Aug 2011, Elenwydd Wilderness, Mid Wales. Photo: © RWD
When young, similar to Chicken-of-the-Woods, but that does not go brown/black when bruised like this, nor go so brown on the upper surface as these specimens.


31st Aug 2011, Elenwydd Wilderness, Mid Wales. Photo: © RWD
This photograph is more true to the actual colour. Each overlapping and tiered bracket is up to 30cm across, with the whole caboodle being up to 80cm wide.


31st Aug 2011, Elenwydd Wilderness, Mid Wales. Photo: © RWD


31st Aug 2011, Elenwydd Wilderness, Mid Wales. Photo: © RWD
Pores whitish or cream coloured that discolour to brown when bruised.


When young Giant Polypore is almost indistinguishable from Chicken-of-the-Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) but Giant Polypore turns brown very quickly when injured unlike Chicken-of-the-Woods. Older specimens of Giant Polypore have a brown top. Although Giant Polypore is edible, it is less sought after than Chicken-of-the-Woods because of this bruising to brown characteristic.

Indeed, your Author mistook this for Chicken-of-the-Woods until a correspondent put him straight. Unfortunately, this has left the entry for Chicken-of-the-Woods without photographs (unless another reader can oblige).

Grows on dead stumps or on deciduous trees close to the ground.


  Meripilus giganteus  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Meripilaceae  
genus8Meripilus
Meripilus
(brackets)

GIANT POLYPORE

Meripilus giganteus

Family [Meripilaceae]