About this fungus
False Turkey-tail is a fungus in the Stereaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A thin, tough, concentrically zoned Stereum bracket on dead wood. The strict name S. ostrea is tropical Asian and has often been misapplied elsewhere.
What to check
Confirm a smooth fertile underside with no pores, gills or teeth, and thin leathery fan-shaped brackets attached directly to wood. Colour bands alone do not identify a Stereum species, and microscopic or DNA evidence may be needed.
Variation
The upper surface may show brown, orange, yellow or reddish bands and can turn green where algae grow. Hairiness, attachment width and yellowing reactions vary among closely related Stereum species.
Lookalikes
True Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor, has obvious tiny pores underneath. North American fungi long called S. ostrea include S. lobatum, S. fasciatum and S. subtomentosum. Similar European material may include S. insignitum or other Stereum species, so the historic common name does not establish the strict taxon.
Food safety
Inedible.
Species to compare
Similar mushrooms to compare against: