It is the rainbow of the forest floor. A fungus that is easy to overlook and hard to forget. This is the Turkey Tail. The fruiting body is a thin, leathery bracket. It spans two to seven centimetres across. These brackets grow in overlapping clusters on dead wood. The upper surface is velvety. It is distinctly zoned with concentric rings. The colours range from brown and grey to white, blue, and green. It looks exactly like the tail feathers of a turkey. Hence the name. A fungus that wears a feather coat. The underside offers a surprise. It is not smooth or colourful like the top. The underside is white to pale cream. It is covered in tiny pores. These are invisible to the naked eye. This is where the spores are produced. They are released in clouds of fine white dust. The dust drifts away on the breeze. It settles on new logs. The cycle continues. Biologically, Turkey Tail is a saprotroph. It feeds on dead wood. It is a decomposer. It turns fallen logs and branches into soil. It is one of the most common bracket fungi in the world. It is found on every continent. In New Zealand forests, it is a familiar sight. It does not discriminate between native and introduced trees. It takes what is available. Turkey Tail is not edible in the normal sense. It is too tough. It is too leathery. But it is medicinal. In traditional Chinese medicine, it has been used for centuries. It serves as an immune booster. It treats infections. It is used in cancer therapy. The properties are well documented. The efficacy is debated by some, but the tradition is strong. To find Turkey Tail is to find a fungus that is beautiful, common, and useful. The dead log is damp. The Turkey Tail grows in overlapping clusters. It is zoned with rings of brown, grey, blue, and green. It does not know it is medicinal. It does not know it is beautiful. It simply exists on the rotting timber. It breaks down the lignin. It releases the nutrients. It carries on. No one told it otherwise.