Mushroom ID

[schmittie]

My wife and I went out for our first geocaching adventure and had a blast. (she had never heard of such a thing). In a local park we spotted these two large mushrooms growing on the ground and about 15' from each other. The biggest one has part of my foot for scale in the pic. The smaller of the two was about the size of a basketball.

On first glance, I thought it was a chicken of the woods. But I've never seen them grow on the ground. Always on the trunk of a tree. I have to admit that I was VERY surprised to see either of these, especially given their size. We have had a pretty severe drought this summer. (I have only mowed 4 times total this year instead of the typical twice a week). We did, however, have quite a storm and downpour of rain the day before I saw these fungi.

I hope these pics are ok. Do you know what they are?

 

[willseeyalater]

Chicken of the woods, grows on oak tree trunks or off of the roots. Look around and find the oak tree it is hosting off of. Laetiporus sulfureous or laetiporus cinncinatus but both are going to look the same, one hosts off the roots and the other the base or trunk. If it is not where they spray for weeds I would eat it but you have to make your own decision because self proclaimed internut experts are not responsible for what you do.

 

[JSMcustoms]

It looks like chicken of the woods to me as well, though I'm not an expert. And I wouldn't stick anything in my mouth that I'm not 100% that it's safe to do so.

 

[schmittie]

Everybody calm down. I know how these fungi IDs go. I am NOT asking for ANY advise on whether or not I should eat it. I'm just expanding my knowledge of identifying. If it makes you feel better, then by all means, include a disclaimer.

For what it's worth, I refuse to eat fast food or anything else that could be listed in the 'crap food' category (mcdonalds, burger king etc) so I am certainly not in a rush to eat a potentially deadly mushroom.

 

[willseeyalater]

I calm down real well when olive oil, butter, garlic and chicken of the woods are simmering in a pan on my stove...really calm if I have nice crusty bread to mop up the plate.

 

[schmittie]

Lol!!!

 

[ddml]

That looks like grifola frondosa (hen of the woods) assuming the underside has pores instead of gills. There are no similar looking poisonous polypores; I would eat it. I am in now way advising you to eat it, though. But maybe you should... Looks good!

 

[mewolf1]

willseeyalater seems to have nailed it:thumbup: I have found chickens on the ground, but like was stated, the wood is under ground. As the old adage says "when in doubt, thow it out."
Hen of the woods is much more brown or gray and is found at the base of Oaks.