Laetiporus sulphureus

(Bull) Fr.

Chicken of the woods, Sulfur polypore, Sulphur shelf

PolyporaceaeMushroomsPotential hazards — see below
Caution — Parts of this plant may be toxic or require specific preparation. Verify with multiple sources before consuming.
Laetiporus sulphureus
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(c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Stephen John Davies
Laetiporus sulphureus
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(c) jonathantellerelsberg, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
Laetiporus sulphureus
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(c) Dr. Alexey Yakovlev, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dr. Alexey Yakovlev

What to Eat

Edible parts: Mushroom, Fungus

Due to its taste, Laetiporus sulphureus has been called the chicken polypore and chicken-of-the-woods (not to be confused with Grifola frondosa, the so-called hen-of-the-woods). Many people think that the mushroom tastes like crab or lobster leading to the nickname lobster-of-the-woods. The authors of Mushrooms in Color said that the mushroom tastes good sauteed in butter or prepared in a cream sauce served on toast or rice. It is highly regarded in Germany and North America. Young specimens are edible if they exude large amounts of a clear to pale yellow watery liquid. Only the young outer edges of larger specimens should be collected, as older portions tend to be tough, unpalatable, and bug-infested. The mushroom should not be eaten raw.

Known Hazards

Some people have experienced gastrointestinal upset after eating this mushroom, and it should not be consumed raw. Severe adverse reactions can occur, including vomiting and fever, in about 10% of the population, but this is now thought to be the result of confusion with morphologically similar species such as Laetiporus huroniensis, which grows on hemlock trees, and L. gilbertsonii, which grows on Eucalyptus.

Where to Find It

It grows in temperate places. It grows on trees. It grows in moist places.

Africa, Alaska, Asia, Bhutan, Britain, Canada, China, Europe, France, Guyana, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Mexico, Nepal, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Romania, Russia, SE Asia, Sicily, Sikkim, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Armenia, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Switzerland, Cote d'Ivoire, Chile, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Djibouti, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Estonia, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Finland, Fiji, Micronesia, France, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Comoros, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, North Macedonia, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Malta, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, San Marino, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, El Salvador, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Tonga, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Venezuela, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A mushroom. It is bright sulphur-yellow to orange.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Laetiporus sulphureus is a species of bracket fungus (fungi that grow on trees). Its common names include sulphur polypore, sulphur shelf, and chicken-of-the-woods. Its fruit bodies grow as striking golden-yellow shelf-like structures on tree trunks and branches. Old fruitbodies fade to pale beige or pale grey. The undersurface of the fruit body is made up of tubelike pores rather than gills. Found in Europe and North America, L. sulphureus is a saprophyte and occasionally a weak parasite, causing brown cubical rot in the heartwood of trees on which it grows. Unlike many bracket fungi, it is edible when young, although adverse reactions have been reported.

Other Information

It is sold in local markets in Nepal.

Names & Synonyms

Linhuangjun, Mirgay chaew, Rakteauu

Boletus caudicinus Scop.Polyporus sulphureus Bull: Fr.Several
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