Poliporo Solforoso, Pollo del Bosco

This magnificent fungus grows out of the bark of oak and willow trees to an astonishing size and weight. It is splendidly coloured, being sulphur-yellow on its underside and an orangey-yellow on top. It is very meaty and grows in shelves in groups of three, with the top one reaching up to 40 cm (16 inches) in diameter and the whole group several kilos in weight.

It belongs to the Polypore family, which indicates that myriad pores cover the underside of the fungus. These pores carry the spores, which form a white stain on the bark of the tree when the fungus is reaching maturity and becoming old and woody.