Species introCountry intro
Hen-of-the-woods Grifola frondosa
Arenbergbos, Heverlee, Belgium (Oct 2014).
Another massive, messy-looking mushroom, much bigger than my foot. G. frondosa grows from an underground tuber-like structure known as a sclerotium, about the size of a potato. The fruiting body, occurring as large as 100 cm, is a cluster consisting of multiple grayish-brown caps which are often curled or spoon-shaped, with wavy margins and 2–7 cm broad. The undersurface of each cap bears approximately one to three pores per millimeter, with the tubes rarely deeper than 3 mm. The milky-white stipe (stalk) has a branchy structure and becomes tough as the mushroom matures.
''Grifola frondosa'' is a polypore mushroom that grows at the base of trees, particularly oaks. Also known as hen-of-the-woods, ''maitake'', ram's head or sheep's head. It is typically found in late summer to early autumn. It is native to China, Europe, and North America.
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