Dryad’s Saddle

(Cerioporus squamosus)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

not listed

Minnesota

not listed

 
Dryad’s Saddle
 
Description

Dryad’s Saddle, also called Pheasant’s Back Polypore, is a common, easily recognized, wood decaying, bracket fungus. It fruits mostly in the spring but occasionally also in the summer or fall. It is found usually in overlapping clusters of 2 or 3, sometimes singly. It is both saprobic, occurring on logs and stumps of dead hardwood trees, and parasitic, occurring on the lower trunk of living hardwood trees, especially elms.

The fruiting body is a large, stalked bracket. The bracket is circular to fan-shaped or kidney-shaped, 2¼ to 12 in diameter, and up to 1½ thick. The upper surface is light yellowish-brown with flat, brown or dark brown scales. The scales have a feathery appearance, which accounts for the common names Hawk’s Wing and Pheasant’s Back.

The underside is whitish. The pores are small at first, becoming very large, up to in the largest dimension.

The stalk (stipe) is short, thick, tough, and often off-center. It is 1¼ to 4 long and ¾ to 2¼ in diameter. As it ages the base of the stipe becomes velvety black.

The flesh is white.

The spores are whitish to cream-colored.

 

Similar Species

 
Habitat and Hosts

Hardwood and mixed forests. Dead and living hardwoods, especially elm.

Ecology

Season

Spring

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

8/10/2024    
     

Occurrence

Common

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Fungi (fungi)

Subkingdom

Dikarya

Phylum

Basidiomycota (club fungi)

Subphylum

Agaricomycotina (jelly fungi, yeasts, and mushrooms)

Class

Agaricomycetes (mushrooms, bracket fungi, puffballs, and allies)

Subclass

Agaricomycetidae

Order

Polyporales (shelf fungi)

Family

Polyporaceae (bracket fungi)

Genus

Cerioporus

   

Unitl recently, Dryad’s Saddle was known by the name Polyporus squamosus. In 2017, based on phylogenetic analysis, this and several other species were transferred to the newly resurrected genus Cerioporus.

   

Subordinate Taxa

 

   

Synonyms

Agarico-pulpa ulmi

Boletus cellulosus

Boletus juglandis

Boletus maximus

Boletus michelii

Boletus platyporus

Boletus polymorphus

Boletus squamosus

Boletus testaceus

Bresadolia caucasica

Bresadolia paradoxa

Bresadolia squamosa

Cerioporus michelii

Cerioporus rostkowii

Favolus squamosus

Heteroporus biennis var. flabelliformis

Leucoporus lepidus

Melanopus squamosus

Polyporellus rostkowii

Polyporellus squamatus

Polyporellus squamosus

Polyporellus squamosus f. rostkowii

Polyporellus squamosus ssp. granulisquamosus

Polyporellus squamosus ssp. rostkowii

Polyporus alpinus

Polyporus biennis var. flabelliformis

Polyporus clusianus

Polyporus dissectus

Polyporus flabelliformis

Polyporus flabelliformis ssp. flabelliformis

Polyporus flabelliformis ssp. tigrinus

Polyporus infundibiliformis

Polyporus infundibuliformis

Polyporus juglandis

Polyporus juglandis ssp. juglandis

Polyporus juglandis var. pictus

Polyporus juglandis var. rangiferinus

Polyporus michelii

Polyporus pallidus

Polyporus retirugis

Polyporus retirugus

Polyporus rostkowii

Polyporus squamatus

Polyporus squamosus

Polyporus squamosus f. apodominuta

Polyporus squamosus f. erectus

Polyporus squamosus f. michelii

Polyporus squamosus f. rostkowii

Polyporus squamosus ssp. maculatus

Polyporus squamosus ssp. michelii

Polyporus squamosus ssp. polymorphus

Polyporus squamosus ssp. rostkowii

Polyporus squamosus var. crassipes

Polyporus squamosus var. glaber

Polyporus squamosus var. levipes

Polyporus squamosus var. maculatus

Polyporus squamosus var. maximus

Polyporus squamosus var. polymorphus

Polyporus tigrin

Polyporus ulmi

Polyporus westii

Scenidium pallidum

Trametes retirugis

Trametes retirugus

   

Common Names

Dryad’s Saddle

Hawk’s Wing

Pheasant’s Back Mushroom

Pheasant’s Back Polypore

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Saprobic

A term often used for saprotrophic fungi. Referring to fungi that obtain their nutrients from decayed organic matter.

 

Stipe

A supporting stalk-like structure lacking vascular tissue: in fungi, the stalk supporting the mushroom cap; in ferns, the stalk connecting the blade to the rhizome; in flowering plants, the stalk connecting the flower’s ovary to the receptacle; in orchids; the band connecting the pollina with the viscidium.

Visitor Photos
 

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Luciearl

Dryad’s Saddle    

Kirk Nelson

Dryad’s Saddle   Dryad’s Saddle
     
Dryad’s Saddle    

Margot Avey

Dryad’s Saddle   Dryad’s Saddle
     
Dryad’s Saddle   Dryad’s Saddle

I took these photos this morning at Westwood Nature Center, St Louis Park MN. It is a fabulous place to walk and enjoy nature up close!

Cary Schmies

Dryad’s Saddle    

looks like bird feathers

   

Alfredo Colon

Dryad’s Saddle    

James

Dryad’s Saddle    

L. Bessel

Dryad’s Saddle   Dryad’s Saddle

Steve B

Dryad’s Saddle   Dryad’s Saddle
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
Dryad’s Saddle   Dryad’s Saddle
     
Dryad’s Saddle   Dryad’s Saddle
     
Dryad’s Saddle    

 

Camera

Slideshows

Dryad Saddle
Andree Reno Sanborn

Dryad Saddle
About

Cerioporus squamosus

Cerioporus squamosus
Thierry SaintEtienne

About

Published on May 29, 2013

Un champignon trouvé sur une souche dans le jardin.

J'ai créé cette vidéo à l'aide de l'outil de création de diaporamas YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/upload).

 

slideshow

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Other Videos

Dryad Saddle Mushroom
MiWilderness

About

Uploaded on May 15, 2011

Cerioporus squamosus is a spring time wild edible mushroom that is found in the same habitat and at the same time of year as morel mushrooms here in Southern Michigan.

Super Huge Fungus - Dryad’s Saddle (Cerioporus squamosus) on a tree
Pondguru

About

Uploaded on Jul 14, 2011

Awesome example of large tree fungus on a sycamore tree.

Name is Dryad’s Saddle (Cerioporus squamosus) and it is edible when younger.

Thanks to 'grifola' for that information.

Pheasantback Mushroom (Cerioporus squamosus)
karenchakey

About

Published on May 20, 2013

I found mushrooms today, I was pretty sure they were Pheasantback or Dryad’s saddle but wasn't 100% sure till I put this video up so I didn't bring them home, my research says you should always pick them small, large ones are rubbery! and they have a faint smell of watermellon.

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

Report a sighting of this fungus.

 

This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
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Luciearl
8/4/2024

Location: Lake Shore, MN

Dryad’s Saddle

Darlene Thomas
7/23/2023

Location: Lake Plantagenet, Bemidji, MN

Margot Avey
8/27/2022

Location: Westwood Nature Center, St Louis Park MN

Dryad’s Saddle
Margot Avey
7/18/2022

Location: Westwood Nature Center, St Louis Park MN

Dryad’s Saddle
Cary Schmies
6/17/2022

Location: St. Louis County

looks like bird feathers

Dryad’s Saddle
Margot Avey
5/17/2022

Location: St. Louis Park, MN

Dryad’s Saddle

Apricity Apricity
Fall 2021

Location: Martin County, Fairmont, MN

Alfredo Colon
8/4/2019

Location: Woodbury, MN

Dryad’s Saddle
Brian
8/2/2018

Location: Theodore Wirth Park, Minneapolis, MN

Huge white Dryad’s Saddles 40 cm+  growing on old downed elm tree

James
5/18/2018

Location: MN

Dryad’s Saddle
L. Bessel
8/28/2017

Location: Sibley County

Dryad’s Saddle
Steve B
5/22/2017

Location: Plymouth/Hennepin

Dryad’s Saddle
Kirk Nelson
5/15/2016

Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Dryad’s Saddle
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