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Polyporus squamosus is a fungus commonly known as Dryad's saddle and Pheasant's back mushroom. It is a common, widespread and thick-stemmed mushroom, found growing in spring by attaching to dead logs or stumps in North America, Australia, Asia and Europe. It is a parasite fungus causing white rot in the heartwood of living and dead hardwood trees.
Polyporus squamosus can grow up to 50 cm across, and plays an important role in woodland ecosystems by decomposing wood such as elms, but occasionally as a parasite on living trees including ash, beech, horse chestnut, lime, maple, planetree, poplar and willow. The fruiting body is yellow to brown, 8-30 cm across and up to 10 cm thick, with scales on the upper side. On the underside, the pores are made up of tubes, 1-12 mm long, packed together closely. The stipe or stalk is short and thick, about 5 cm long. This mushroom can be found alone, in clusters of two or three, or forming shelves. It is soft when young and toughen with age.
Polyporus squamosus is edible when young and very tender. Slicing it into smaller pieces and cooking them under low hat. It produces smell which resembles the watermelon rind.
