hen of the woods
noun
variants
or hen-of-the-woods
or less commonly hen of the wood
or hen-of-the-wood
plural hens of the woods or hens-of-the-woods or hen of the woods or hen-of-the-woods also hens of the wood or hens-of-the-wood
: an edible bracket fungus (Grifola frondosa) of North America and Eurasia that forms large clusters of pale gray to brown fruiting bodies comprised of wavy, fanlike caps found usually at the base of trees and that is valued for its earthy flavor and medicinal properties : maitake
… the delicate taste of the chanterelle and the smooth earthiness of the hen of the woods are well worth the effort of a walk in the woods.—Dave Orrick
The hen-of-the-woods is one of the easiest wild mushrooms to identify. It grows at the base of hardwoods in a mass of overlapping caps …—Thomas J. Morgan
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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