Edible mushroom - novice Season - summer to autumn Common names beefsteak fungus, beefsteak polypore, ox tongue fungus, beefsteak mushroom, liver fungus, liver mushroom
Scientific name meaning: Fistulina is from the Latin Fistulosus, meaning full of pipes. Hepatica is from the Greek Hepatikos, meaning of the liver
Habitat  Beefsteak fungus grows as both a parasite and saprobe on living dead or dying oak or sweet chestnut. |
Overall structure and growth  The beef steak fungus is a bracket (growing out of wood with pore instead of gills) or polypore. It had a kidney shape and meat-like appearance. It oozes liquid, which is known as guttation, that is stained red and looks like blood. |
Cap  A pink-orange colour when young, darkening to a deep blood red with age. It can reach sizes of up to 25cm and a thickness of 3cm. It is kidney- or liver-shaped. |
Pores, tubes and spores  The pore surface and tubes are white, yellowing with age. The spore colour is pale peach. |
Flesh, taste and smell  Soft and looks remarkably like marbled steak, with meaty red colouring. It oozes a red sticky liquid (guttation) when squeezed. It has no strong smell and the taste is bitter. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with the cinnamon bracket (Hapalopilus nidulans/rutilans), pictured, which is poisonous. However, the cinnamon bracket lacks the red guttation and meat-like appearance of the beefsteak fungus' flesh. Could also be mistaken for the shaggy bracket (Inonotus hispidus) but this is hard. |
Use as a food Beefsteak fungus is very acidic. Most people prefer it to be cooked slowly over a long period of time to reduce its acidity or made into a jerky, which reduces its bitterness Hazards None known
Use in herbal medicine and medicine Some antimicrobial, antiparasitic and anticancer activity has been researched
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species A food source of the larvae of many flies. Something to be aware of when harvesting older fruit bodies for consumption
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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