Dryad's Saddle Mushroom (Cerioporus squamosus)

Identification

Per the Missouri Department of Conservation field guide, dryad's saddle has a circular-to-fan-shaped cap, yellowish tan, covered with dark, hairy scales, growing up to 12 inches across. The underside shows large, angular, yellowish-white pores rather than gills, and the stalk is short, off-center, and blackish at the base. It grows on living or dead deciduous wood, singly or in layered clusters, and can reappear at the same spot for years. It's visible May through October, with the potential for multiple fruiting periods in a season.

The watermelon-rind smell

A fresh, young dryad's saddle releases a strong scent most people describe as watermelon rind, produced by trans-2-nonenal, the same aldehyde compound responsible for that scent in actual watermelon rind (and, at different concentrations, the smell of old books). This is one of the fastest confirming checks once the cap, scale pattern, and pored underside already point to dryad's saddle.

Why age matters more than toxicity here

Per the Missouri Department of Conservation, dryad's saddle is "considered a good edible, especially when the mushroom is young." Older specimens aren't reported as toxic; they simply become too tough and woody to eat. The standard preparation is to harvest young caps, cut off the tender edges, slice thin, and cook in butter. As with any wild mushroom eaten for the first time, sample a small amount first to check for an individual reaction.

As a pored polypore rather than a gilled mushroom, dryad's saddle isn't confused with gilled toxic species. For the gilled-vs-pored distinction and why it matters for identification generally, see the Edible Mushroom Guide.