Turkey tail mushrooms are found growing on logs, especially fallen beech, throughout the world and certainly here in Scotland. Their rather obvious name is due to them looking literally like the colourful tails of a male turkey. They can be dried and then the powder boiled in water to make a medicinal tea. Wonderful for supporting the immune system.
Of interest is the US FDA investment of $5.2 million in clinical trials using the polysaccharide PSK extracted from turkey tail fungi to treat cancer patients alongside their conventional treatment. The trial runs until 2014 and it will be interesting to see if scientific evidence will back up its use in traditional herbal medicine.
