It is a Polypore, but I am not sure which species. Quite common. Why do you want to remove it, at least something alive on this dead wood?
Is that an edible mushroom or poisonous? I've had those growing on my dead wood as well and I know some mushrooms have a high medicinal value and I'd hate to destroy them if they're valuable healthwise.
Good call Sundrop: Given the habitat and topside appearance, it is likely Gloeophyllum sepiarium, the gilled polypore. If you look at the underside you will see thick firm gill-like (like a thick butterknife blade) structures. There are other species of Gloeophyllum, but this is the more common one. They like decorticated (de-barked) wood, including lumber (fences, decks etc). It's not edible, and trying to eat it would likely cause stomach upset to some degree, partly due to the sheer woodiness of it, but as far as I know it is not seriously poisonous as such. I've done a fair bit of research into fungi used medicinally in various traditions/cultures, and this has not been one I've encountered in that context. Having said that I notice that most substances on this planet have medicinal (in the broad sense) properties of some sort, so this is as likely as any to have an active principle of some sort. If you find anything on that topic I hope you will share the info here. cheers! frog
... I forgot to respond to the safely-remove question: The body of the fungus is inside the wood, consuming parts of the wood, and what you are seeing is the mushroom of that fungus, as in the fruit/flower of the fungus. So, while you can remove the mushrooms, the fungus itself will continue, and produce more mushrooms according to its optimal conditions and season. cheers, frog
