Laetiporus conifericola

Laetiporus conifericola is a bright orange-to-yellow, shelf-like (bracket) polypore native to western North America, where it fruits on living and dead conifers from summer into autumn. It is one of the "chicken of the woods" mushrooms, the western, conifer-loving counterpart to the eastern, hardwood-dwelling Laetiporus sulphureus. Like its relatives it is prized for a meaty, chicken-like texture when young, though conifer-grown specimens are noted for a sourer taste and require thorough cooking.

History

Laetiporus conifericola is a relatively recently recognized member of the Laetiporus genus, separated from the broader "chicken of the woods" group on the basis of its conifer host and western North American range. For much of the twentieth century, western conifer-dwelling collections were simply lumped with Laetiporus sulphureus, which does not actually occur in western North America. As mycologists clarified the genus, L. conifericola was distinguished by where it grows and what it grows on, alongside other western look-alikes such as the eucalyptus-associated Laetiporus gilbertsonii.

Overview

Ecologically, Laetiporus conifericola is a brown-rot fungus: its enzymes break down the cellulose in conifer wood and leave behind a modified brown lignin, causing the characteristic cubical cracking seen on decaying softwoods, and playing a distinct role in forest nutrient cycling. It is foraged rather than cultivated commercially. Key identifying features are its bright yellow-to-orange shelving fruiting bodies, a pored (rather than gilled) underside, and its growth directly on conifers, which separates it from the hardwood-dwelling eastern L. sulphureus. Because conifer-grown chicken-of-the-woods can cause stomach upset or allergic reactions in some people, it should only be eaten young, well cooked, and in modest amounts.