Dryad's Saddle
(Cerioporus squamosus)
(Synonym: Polyporus squamosus)
(Synonym: Polyporus squamosus)
Other Names:
Phesant back
Range:
Family:
Polyporaceae – Polypore family
Growth Type:
Cap:
Dryad's saddle is so named because the shape of the polypore resembles the seat of a saddle. The cap has dense overlapping scales tan to brownish scales. These scales resemble a pheasant's tail feathers, hence one of the other common name Pheasant's back.
Stem:
The cap is large, fleshy, and tough. It can be up to a foot across. Although it usually appears singly, it is sometimes overlapping. The cap is flat and often sunken, resembling the seat of a saddle; hence its common name Dryad's saddle. The shape is usually round, but sometimes it can be oval or even kidney shaped.
Tubes:
2 - 8 mm long. Large and descending stem
Pores:
White to yellowish and angular
Spores:
10-16 x 4-6 µ; oblong, elliptical to cylindrical, smooth
Spore Print:
Spore print white
Height:
1/2 - 2" thick
Miscellaneous characteristics:
N/A.
Stalk: NA
Spores: 10 - 16 x 4 - 6 µ; oblong-elliptical to cylindrical, smooth, colorless. Spore print white.
Season:
May - November
Habitat:
Can be found growing on living or dead deciduous wood.
Parts Used:
The entire cap when young, but as it toughens with age, the tender edges of the cap still remain tasty.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms Description:
Large, fleshy, tough, scaly, yellowish-brown cap with large, white to yellowish pores descending short stalk.
Cap: 6 - 30 cm wide; single or in overlapping clusters; flat to sunken, almost circular to kidney shaped; whitish to dingy yellowish or brownish; with dense, flat, overlapping scales. Flesh 0.5 - 3.5 cm thick; white. Odor and taste like watermelon rind.
Tubes: 2 - 8 mm long; large, descending stalk. Pores angular, white or yellowish.
Cautions:
None Known
Culinary Uses:
You can use this mushroom as you would any other. I enjoy thinly slicing tender young caps, and sautéing in butter or bacon grease. I also dice the cap and adding it to soups and stews. Younger specimens can be dried and rehydrated for later use. I find that when dried, the older specimens become far too tough to rehydrate. If however, you grind them after drying, they make a wonderfully flavorful mushroom bouillon.
The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.
Medicinal Uses:
None Known
Medicinal Actions:
N/A
An older specimin found by my friend Allan Ballard.
Another picture taken by Allan Ballard.