A Fungus Among Us

It's back. Call it sulphur shelf or chicken monikers such as chicken of the woods,  chicken mushroom or chicken fungus (Laetiporus) because its taste is similar to its feathered counterpart, but don't confuse it with hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa) or the fried chicken mushroom (Lyophyllum decastes). Whatever you choose to call this fungus, its humongous size and bright color can be spotted from afar. Every September or October, mine exhibits a specific sporulation preference by emerging near the base of a eucalyptus tree. The "baby" fruiting bodies form a cluster of moist, rubbery, neon-yellow to orange shelves piled on top of one another and edged in even brighter yellows or oranges. These shelves are composed of innumerable tiny tubular filaments (hyphae) and some can weigh over 100 pounds. When I first spotted this fantastic mushroom that becomes a gargantuan almost overnight, I wondered if it was edible. And if it was, could it have psychedelic powers sending me down a "white rabbit" hole, to meet the Mad Hatter? First of all, any wild mushroom should be correctly identified before getting out the pots and pans. And even if it is edible, there may be an allergic or hallucinogenic sensitivity to a particular variety. Also this chicken of the woods may not lay eggs, but it causes a form of rot which can result in the collapse of its host tree over time. Although many references suggested to eat only fresh, young specimen and to begin with small amounts to see how well it is digested, I fortunately learned that any shelf mushroom grown on eucalyptus or conifers such as cedar, absorbs toxins from the wood itself and should not be consumed. Whew! There are other non-culinary options such as using it to dye wool or paper, inhibiting the growth of staph bacteria or even laboriously drying them to serve as, you guessed it, real shelves. But for now, I will admire its startling fall appearance in situ and ruminate on another one of Mother Nature's miraculous creations.