About this fungus
Berkeley's Polypore is a fungus in the Bondarzewiaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A huge pale rosette of overlapping fan-shaped caps arising from a shared base beside a hardwood tree, especially oak.
What to check
Look underneath for a white pore surface that runs onto the thick central base. The pale flesh does not rapidly blacken when damaged, and older caps become tough and leathery. As a bracket fungus it has no ring or volva.
Variation
Young caps are white to cream, later becoming tan or pale brown. The rosette may contain only a few broad caps or many overlapping lobes and can become very large.
Lookalikes
Meripilus species usually blacken when bruised or aged. Grifola frondosa has many smaller grey-brown fronds. Bondarzewia occidentalis is a western North American conifer-associated relative and develops darker brown caps.
Habitat and range
A root and butt-rot fungus at the base of living or dead broadleaf trees, especially oak. It is chiefly a North American species, so similar large rosettes elsewhere need regional identification.
Food safety
Edible.
Use this profile to learn what to examine and compare, not as proof that a mushroom is safe to eat. Check the whole specimen and every important lookalike before reaching an identification.