Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail Mushroom)
Turkey tail is a colorful, fan-shaped mushroom widely recognized for its medicinal properties and striking appearance. Ecologically, it plays a critical role as a decomposer, breaking down dead wood and recycling nutrients in forest ecosystems. It thrives in damp, shaded forests and wooded areas, particularly on decaying hardwood and conifer logs.
Key identifying features include thin, leathery, fan-shaped caps with concentric rings of vibrant colors, ranging from brown, gray, and tan to blue and green. The caps have a velvety texture and grow in overlapping clusters. The underside has tiny, closely spaced pores.
Turkey tail is primarily foraged as a medicinal mushroom. It is commonly dried and brewed into teas, extracted into tinctures, or powdered for use in capsules and supplements. Modern research supports its use as an immune-boosting adaptogen, rich in antioxidants and polysaccharides, which has shown promise in cancer therapy.