in woodland ecosystems by decomposing wood, usually elm, silver maple, or box elder but is occasionally a parasite on living trees. Other tree hosts include ash, beech, horse chestnut, Persian walnut, lime, maple, planetree, poplar, magnolia, and willow. Edibility and uses Edible when young. They can become infested with maggots and become firm, rubbery and inedible as they mature. Cookbooks dealing with preparation generally recommend gathering these while young, slicing them into small pieces and cooking them over a low heat. Some people value the thick, stiff paper that can be made from this and many other mushrooms of the genus Cerioporus. The mushroom's smell resembles watermelon rind. Polyporus squamosus has a mild nutty flavour. Gallery References External links Mushroom-Collecting.com: Polyporus squamosus – Dryad's Saddle Mushroom-Collecting.com: Dryad's Saddle, Pheasant Back Mushroom, Hawks Wing (Polyporus squamosus) squamosus Edible fungi Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Taxa named by William Hudson (botanist)