Observation 71669: Meripilus sumstinei (Murrill) M.J. Larsen & Lombard
When: 2011-07-16
Collection location: Lower Hudson Valley, New York, USA [Click for map]
Who: Melva (mfenwickar)
No specimen available
Notes:
Please tell me what this is. It is growing in the woods between my home and a wetland area. It is approx. 24 inches in length, 20 in width and approx. 10 inches high. When I first discovered it, it had an opening in the top, like a bowl, but it has now grown tremendously and the hole is now about the size of a tea cup. I know absolutely nothing about mushrooms, but have probably a dozen or more types in my woods. Thanks for helping solve the mystery.
Melva
Images
| User’s votes are weighted by their contribution to the site (log10 contribution). In addition, the user who created the observation gets an extra vote. | |||||||||
| Vote | Score | Weight | Users | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I’d Call It That | 3.0 | 4.30 | 1 | ||||||
| Promising | 2.0 | 0.00 | 0 | ||||||
| Could Be | 1.0 | 0.00 | 0 | ||||||
| Doubtful | -1.0 | 0.00 | 0 | ||||||
| Not Likely | -2.0 | 0.00 | 0 | ||||||
| As If! | -3.0 | 0.00 | 0 | ||||||
| Overall Score sum(score * weight) / (total weight + 1) |
2.43 | 81.14% | |||||||
You have a common polypore called the Black Staining Polypore. If you handle it of squish it, its leaves should turn brown. There are only one or two other mushrooms that look like this. One is called ‘Hen of the Woods’ and grows in your area at the base of Oaks in the late summe/fall, and is a very popular edible.
Im part of a mushroom club that is in your are called COMA. We have weekly walks and did so today in Fahnstock park near Cold Spring. Feel free to come on one of our walks.