Polyporus squamosus Dryad’s Saddle
Syn Cerioporus squamosus
Living within, feeding on and obtaining nutrients from dead broad-leaved trees, this species particularly favours horse chestnut & sycamore. Very occasionally it can appear on conifers. The fruit bodies can be solitary or in overlapping groups. It emerges like a stout rivet, with a flattish head that is depressed in the centre. Often encountered as a semi-circular fan shape up to 500mm across, the upper surface varies from straw to ochre-yellow with numerous darker brown flattened scales arranged in concentric rings. The caps margin is finely hairy,
thin and curves downward. The underside is cream with pores that are 1 to 2mm wide, they are irregular, rounded to angular and run down the offset stem which has a black crusty base.
The white flesh is up to 40 mm thick with a tube depth not exceeding 10mm. Initially soft it becomes tough and corky with age.
The spore print is white.
The transparent spores are elongated-ellipsoid, smooth, with droplets.
This species has been found at Bramshill Plantation, Heath Warren & Warren Heath.