Train-wrecker; Scaly Sawgill; Scaly Lentinus
A somewhat infamous species that decomposes lumber and railroad ties, giving it its distinctive moniker. Caps can be up to 5-6 inches across. They are convex, whitish to cream or pale brown in color with concentrically arranged appressed brown scales densest in the center. The scales have mostly disappeared in this photo of a somewhat older example. The whitish gills are attached to slightly decurrent with distinctly serrated margins. The Stipes are up to 8cm long and 4cm across. There is a white ring that usually falls away with age but can be seen peeling away in the photo. The fungus has thick flesh and is considered edible when young with proper cooking, which may mean lengthy cooking or pressure cooking. The fungus favors pine and is more often seen on treated pine planks or wooden furniture than in the wild. Creosote treatment does not protect against it. Here is is shown on well-rotted Ponderosa pine.