| Added on 30/12/2011 | Fungi |
Fistulina hepatica
Common Name(s): Beef Steak Fungus
This fungus is common and widespread in Britain. It is found mainly on oak and chestnut. The brackets produced by this fungus appear annually in late-summer to autumn. The bracket can be tongue shaped, is soft, rubbery and succulent. The upper surface is red-brown in colour with a pale white underside. The flesh has a dark pink colour and is juicy resembling the constituency of raw meat. It is normally found low down on the tree trunk.
Beefsteak produces a colour change within chestnut and oak heartwood (called 'brown oak') which is much sought after by wood users.
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Mature bracket on Oak (Chris Skellern).
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Young, emerging bracket on Oak (Chris Skellern).
Please Note: Many Fungi are toxic and individual reactions to them vary widely. Do not touch or eat fungi unless you have accurately identified them. The AIE can not accept any legal responsibility or liability for errors in identification or for individual reactions to the consumption of fungi.