UKH

Anyone know what this is?

That’s a tree with some mushrooms growing on the bark.

What does it taste like?

One of the milk caps?

I find this website pretty good for identifying mushrooms:

https://www.wildfooduk.com/mushroom-guide/?mushroom_season=winter

I'd say a variety of honey fungus, Armillaria mellea, or possibly a funeral bell,  Gallerina marginata.

Cheers, Cloughy

What sort of tree is it?

Pine. Probably Scots Pine, judging by the bark.

All I know from the ancient folklore is that any mushroom that's white/pale on the underside: don't touch it. The vast majority of them being poisonous, some deadly so. Whereas any that are brown underneath are almost invariably edible, though not necessarily pleasant. 

That's an unreliable method; have a look at the link above; many poisonous mushrooms have gills that are dark, or turn dark.

https://www.wildfooduk.com/mushroom-guide/?mushroom_type=poisonous

Identification of mushrooms uses a whole range of characteristics, all of which need to match.

Yes, I'm sure it's deeply unreliable. Just passing on the old folklore I heard via a grandmother of mine when I was about 10 years old

Might be velvet shank as it fruits even through the winter. A photo of one specimen from both top and bottom together with some dimensions would probably help with identifying this one.

Velvet shank.

I decline all responsibility if you poison yourself.

youtube.com/watch?v=v5y6O1XbxU0&

Wrong time of year, though. Unless climate change is making its presence felt...

I did wonder if it was a velvet shank, but they seem exclusive to deciduous trees, and, as above, that looks like a Scots pine. But maybe it isn't... Need some more info from mick, and hopefully more pictures of the cap and gills.

Thanks all. Will get some more ID info once this monsoon stops. 

My usual method with unknown fungi is to give some to my son to try. Will ask my son once he’s woke up, but he had a real bad nights sleep so letting him lie in ;