The upper surface of this mushroom is deep orange and the lower surface is bright sulphur yellow. The cap ranges from 2-12 inches wide growing in single to overlapping clusters. It does not have gills but instead has tiny pores. The flesh is thick, soft and watery when young. As it ages it becomes tougher and eventually crumbles away.
There are many hosts but it is especially common on oaks where it grows on stumps, trunks and logs. It is mainly a spring mushroom but has been found from spring through autumn. This mushroom can grow in large overlapping clusters of 5 to 50 or more with shelves weighing up to a pound each. In Fontenelle Forest it is uncommon in the upland ravines and floodplains especially on fallen red oak.
This mushroom is also called sulfur shelf and Polyporus sulphureus.
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