Polyporus squamosus

A parasite of broadleaved trees (one collection was made in my city centre on Platanus over 2 metres above the ground, see first cover photo), with large, fan-shaped to bracket-like pilei 20 to 60 cm across, ochraceous-yellow covered with concentric dark brown scales, irregular angular cream pores 1 to 2 mm in diameter, decurrent tubes up to 1 cm long, a stout lateral stipe with a black velvety base, and a strong mealy/cucumber-like odour and taste.

Hyphal system dimitic: skeletal/binding hyphae thick-walled, aseptate, 4 to 8 µm in diameter, with occasional branches; generative hyphae hyaline, thin-walled, 2 to 4 µm wide, septate with clamp connections.

Cystidia absent, although literature notes occasional fusiform cystidioles much smaller than the basidia.

Basidia clavate, 40 to 60 µm long, 8 to 10 µm wide, clamped at the base, 4-spored.

Spores cylindrical, with a pointed apicular end, smooth, hyaline, thin-walled, 11 to 17 µm long, 4 to 6 µm wide, containing oil guttules of varying sizes, inamyloid in Melzer's reagent.