It is a fungus off of a tree…usually near the base. I had a Native American friend who used to go into the woods in southern Oregon and find them. He would let them dry out and create beautiful pen and ink drawings on them of the local area.
I don’t know what people i n other areas call it, but in these woods, we call it Turkey Tail. It is an edible mushroom, and Robby is right, they are quite tasty when young and tender.
I’m a retired forester, and this is definitely a dried up conk, the fruiting body of a shelf fungus that grows on a tree trunk. Many different fungi make these conks, and, when fresh, the bottom where the spores come out is soft enough to etch designs onto, so they are sometimes referred to as artist’s conk.
January 19th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
I stumbled here by accident but will stick around!
January 20th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
It is a fungus off of a tree…usually near the base. I had a Native American friend who used to go into the woods in southern Oregon and find them. He would let them dry out and create beautiful pen and ink drawings on them of the local area.
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Perhaps a rare example of the mysterious mucho grande truffle discovered by Misty, a highly trained and skilled truffle hunter.
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Fungus off of a tree…
January 25th, 2008 at 10:59 am
burl ?
January 29th, 2008 at 10:51 am
artist fungus
January 31st, 2008 at 7:11 am
fungi grows on decaying trees
February 5th, 2008 at 3:17 am
It is a slightly burned hat worn by the elbino frog.
February 12th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Looks kinda like a petrified plop of poo!
February 21st, 2008 at 11:58 am
common name=Artist’s conk
Ganoderma lucidum is the latin term.
Used for folk art/line drawing on the bottom of this specie of polypore.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:08 am
tree fungus
March 4th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
yup, this is definitely a dried tree fungus.
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:49 am
I think it’s a petrified placenta, gross - yes, but could be.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
It`s a dried wood ear mushroom-thay taste great when they`re young and tender.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
It is the middle of a wagon wheel, I have one that was converted into a hanging lamp!
September 5th, 2008 at 7:44 am
I don’t know what people i n other areas call it, but in these woods, we call it Turkey Tail. It is an edible mushroom, and Robby is right, they are quite tasty when young and tender.
September 21st, 2008 at 3:22 pm
we call them toad stool
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I’m a retired forester, and this is definitely a dried up conk, the fruiting body of a shelf fungus that grows on a tree trunk. Many different fungi make these conks, and, when fresh, the bottom where the spores come out is soft enough to etch designs onto, so they are sometimes referred to as artist’s conk.