Fungus · GBIF taxon 2547092
Dryad's Saddle
Cerioporus squamosusAlso known as Pheasant's Back Mushroom, Pheasant Back, Scaly Polypore
Dryad's Saddle fruits in spring and early summer on decaying hardwood logs, stumps, and living trees. Its distinctive fan-shaped cap features dark brownish scales resembling the plumage of a pheasant, supported by a stout stem with tiny pores underneath. As a white-rot fungus, it breaks down tough lignin inside heartwood, returning essential nutrients to forest soil.
Bracket FungusWood DecayerSpring Mushroom
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Decaying Hardwood
- Lignin
- Cellulose
Predators
- Fungus Beetles
- Slugs
- Squirrels
ThreatsRemoval of Dead Wood and Old Hardwood Trees
HabitatsDeciduous Forests, Woodlands, Parks, Urban Trees
Life spanPerennial Mycelium, Annual Fruiting Body
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPolyporaceae
- SpeciesCerioporus squamosus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Check under caps: Look beneath the cap to observe tiny maze-like pores instead of gills.
- Look near wounds: Search trunks of wounded living trees or fresh stumps after spring rains.
- Smell the base: Fresh fruiting bodies carry a distinct aroma reminiscent of watermelon rind.
Fellow Wood Decayer (c) Richard Jacob, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Richard Jacob · cc-by
Related Polypore Jerzy Opioła / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Large Polypore Michael Gäbler / CC BY 3.0 · cc-by
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