Turkey Tail Mushroom

A turkey tail , typical color variations.

The turkey tail, Trametes versicolor,  is found through out North America and in many places around the globe. It may be the most widely studied medicinal mushroom in the world. It is very adaptable and grows in a variety of colors which accounts for the versicolor in it's name. This beautiful blue example was collected about 50 feet from our cabin.
  They have a very thin leathery flesh so they are usually used as a tea although some people will chew them as they stroll through the woods.  This mushroom is highly valued for being the natural source of the anticancer agent PSK. This mushroom is known in oriental medicine as Yun Zhi and is highly regarded. It is also considered to be an immune system modulator and is known as a powerful antioxidant.
    I have not found any reports of toxicity and so we add it too our teas occasionally. Would I spend big bucks to obtain it, probably not, unless I had been diagnosed with cancer. In our case it's an easy to obtain ounce of prevention.