Eastern Cauliflower Mushroom - Sparassis crispa

Information from: (disclaimer - never eat wild mushrooms without positive identification)

The Audubon Society Field Guide to

North American Mushrooms – Alfred A Knopf

Eastern Cauliflower Mushroom - Sparassis crispa

Description: Large 6-12” wide, 6-10” high, stalkless, rounded mushroom with fine wavy, white to pale yellowish, flat-edged, leaflike branches.  Spores 4-7 x 3-4 µ; oval, smooth and colourless. Spore print white.

Edibility: Choice.

Season;  July – October.

Habitat;  Open oak and sandy oak-pine woods.

Range;   Eastern North America.

Comments; - can be common in wet summers, but is rare in dry weather. When fresh it is white or whitish, has a crisp texture and is usually large enough to provide several meals. Nothing known to be poisonous even remotely resembles this Elizabethan ruff of a mushroom.  Also known as S. herbstii­