This is an edible, soft fleshed bracket that is usually seen growing on Oak but ocassionally found on Sweet Chestnut trees. It is tongue shaped, oozing red droplets when young and becoming darker red with age,
Occasional to common
Singly or scattered on host trees, usually found on living trees but occasionally on dead, falled or cut wood.
The cap is blood-red or liver coloured with the surface covered by an elastic, gelatinous and slightly radially- wrinkled peelable skin.
The flesh resembles raw steak, is red, moist and with a radial fibrous texture. The smell is fruity and it has a slightly acidic or bitter taste.
The pores on the underside of the bracket are pale yellow, becoming reddish with age or bruising and are easily seperated.
White.
The trees that this Fungi grew on was prized by the furniture industry for the attractive stain it gave the wood.
Hepatica means "liver like"
