Dryad's saddle

Description

Dryad's saddle is a large, fan-shaped or semicircular mushroom 10–40 cm across, growing on the trunks of broadleaf trees. The cap is pale, covered with dark brown scales; underneath it has white or cream, angular pores running down onto a short, stout, lateral stem, which is brown-black at the base. The flesh smells of meal and cucumber.

It is common throughout Poland, in forests, parks and gardens, on beeches, maples, ashes and many other trees. Young specimens appear as early as spring and grow until autumn.

It is distinguished from the tuberous polypore by its larger size and lateral stem.

Identification features

Cap

Diameter 8–40 cm, exceptionally 60 cm (descriptions give different ranges); thickness up to 10 cm. Young almost flat with an inrolled margin, older slightly funnel-shaped; covered with dark brown scales on a whitish to light brown background. Shape roundish, semicircular or fan-shaped.

Hymenophore (underside of the cap)

Tubes 1–12 mm long; pores irregular, angular, white to cream, the finer the further from the stem, 1–2.5 mm in diameter, decurrent on the stem; the tubes pass smoothly from the cap onto the stem.

Stem

Most often lateral, short and stout (3–12 cm long, 1.5–3.5 cm thick). White or dirty flesh-coloured above, covered below with brown-black or black felt.

Flesh

White, juicy-fleshy, light, corky and brittle when dried; soft when young, hardening and becoming rubbery with age. Taste weak, smell of meal and cucumber, according to some descriptions reminiscent of watermelon rind. Never taste the flesh of unknown mushrooms.

Spore print and spores

Spore print white. Spores oblong-elliptical, smooth: 10–15 × 4–5 µm (descriptions give different ranges).

Habitat and distribution

Ecology. A parasite of living trees and a saprotroph on dying and dead broadleaf trees, rarely conifers; causes white rot of wood. Most often on beeches, maples and ashes; especially often on dead elms and living maples; also horse chestnut, walnut, linden, plane, poplar, willow, among others. Occurs in forests, parks, gardens, thickets, by roads. Singly, in pairs or in tiers.

Distribution. Common throughout Poland except the higher parts of the mountains. Widespread in Eurasia, North America, also in Asia and Australia. No legal protection in Poland.

Fruiting. Young fruiting bodies appear from March and grow until the first frosts; overripe ones may persist until February. In Europe, according to some descriptions, July–November, most often in spring, less often in autumn.

What can it be confused with?

• Polyporus tuberaster (tuberous polypore) — Fruiting body much smaller (up to 15 cm), cap funnel-shaped and rounder, stem central, scales dark only at the top.

Never rely on a single feature. If you are not sure — do not pick it; show the mushroom to a qualified mushroom expert.

Interesting facts

• The English name dryad's saddle alludes to the dryads of mythology; another name, pheasant's back, refers to a pattern resembling a pheasant's back.
• The fruiting body grows very fast: a specimen described by William Hooker in 1810 in Scotland reached a circumference of 2.3 m and a weight of 15.5 kg in four weeks.
• The Polish name żagwiak łuskowaty was established in 2021 to be consistent with the scientific name of the genus Cerioporus.
• In spring it is often found by collectors looking for morels, because the fruiting periods coincide.