BIG fungus !!

[Hammock_man]

Came across these "growths" today.

Any body have an idea what they are and much more to the point, can they be dried to act as tinder. The wood does have a supply of the round black fungus which I have used as tinder with a fire steel but these are just so much Bigger! There is a £2 coin in one photo as scale

Thanks in advance

 

[Peter_t]

dryad's saddle Polyporus squamosus maby?

pete

 

[Shewie]

They look like Dryad's Saddle to me but don't take my word for it.

Edible I believe but not sure about using as a tinder

 

[Iona]

Did you get a pic of the bottom? was intrigued so had a quick flick through the book. so far it's looking like Dryad's Saddle, which is a polypore. Would look like honey comb, not gills, on the bottom. Right time of year, right habitat, and causes white rot, which might be what I can see in the first and last pics. And the pics are identical. If it is, they're edible, worth further investigation I reckon!

 

[Hammock_man]

Thanks so much. Having got a point to start I did a bit of goggle myself and with what little I know I would agree its Polyporus squamosus. Does not seem to be good eating at that size and no mention of tinder. Still might dry it slowly and give it a go. Nothing ventured as they say.

Again Thanks Gents

 

[Hammock_man]

Iona,
They do have a very spongy underneath. Will get an underneath shot tomorrow

 

[xylaria]

I would say it was a dryads saddle too. there isn't much of the same size, markings and season to confuse it with.

I have never eaten one, they are always too mankey when I find them.

 

[addo]

Nice find, one of my favorites. Not heard about edibility though.

 

[chickenofthewoods]

Yep, Dryad's Saddles. I have eaten and enjoyed them, but you have to catch them very young indeed. Old specimens are tough, rubbery & unbelieveably difficult to cut. I don't know of any uses for tinder etc.

 

[spamel]

Ahh, interesting indeed as there are a couple of huge dinner plate sized specimens near me. I'd have thought they were good as is but didn't think of them getting hard with maturity. I'll keep an eye out for younger specimens. For what it's worth, they're growing on an ash stump, about a foot off the ground.

 

[chickenofthewoods]

I do know a fellow forager who's experimenting with cutting up older ones then drying and grinding them for use as a seasoning/stock ingredient. I'm not sure the flavour is good enough to make them worth all that hard graft myself but I'm watching to see how she gets on with much interest.

 

[dwardo]

When i have found them in the past they look like they would taste like an old saddle....