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Chicken of the Woods, Sulphur Shelf
1 public strain
Laetiporus sulphureus, chicken of the woods, is a brown-rot polypore that forms overlapping sulphur-yellow to orange shelves on hardwoods. North American studies have split the old broad concept into several species, and true L. sulphureus may be limited to areas east of the Rocky Mountains.
Edible when young and thoroughly cooked; never eat raw. Use only the tender outer edges of fresh specimens. Some people get gastrointestinal upset. Severe reactions (vomiting, fever) once attributed to this species are now linked to look-alikes on conifers and eucalyptus (L. huroniensis, L. gilbertsonii), so avoid specimens from those hosts.
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Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
