Giant polypore

Description:

The shelves (caps?) are rather "puffy"/fleshy, not unlike Laetiporus sulphureus but it never became yellow or orange as it aged. It simply darkened to a bit of a low-key brown. When I accidentally broke a bit off (trying to see the underside) it stank to high heaven. Large black ants absolutely LOVE it - a stream of them ran over, broke a bit off and ran back down their nearby hole with it.

Habitat:

Grows at the base of a deciduous tree (a norway maple, I think?) the roots of which would be intertwined with a walnut tree (together they form a V shape).

Notes:

Last year, when this image was taken, I thought this might be a Meripilus giganteus, but so many of the internet images I have seen do not have "puffy" shelves. I discovered that it grew back again this year when I moved a(n unused) fountain that'd been hiding the spot from sun. Exposed to the sun so suddenly the mushroom shriveled right up and died off within days (I did not get any pictures). It was noticeably larger this year, but I am not sure if that is due to the age difference or the fact that it had shade for a few months.