About Polyporus umbellatus (Pers.) Fr.
The fruit body of Polyporus umbellatus (Pers.) Fr. is made up of numerous caps, sometimes several hundred total. Each cap measures 1–4 centimetres (1⁄2–1+1⁄2 in) across, is deeply umbilicate and light brown, and grows at the ends of a sturdy, highly branched stalk. The entire compound fungal body can reach up to 40 cm in diameter. Its pores are decurrent, narrow, and whitish. The stalk is whitish grey, 2.5–7 cm (1–3 in) long, and grows from a thick, underground, tuber-like nodule. The flesh is white and soft when young, and hardens as it ages. The spore print of this species is white. Polyporus umbellatus grows on the roots of old beech or oak trees. It occurs in eastern North America, and can be found from May to September. This species is a choice edible mushroom.
