Laetiporaceae is a small but distinctive family of brightly coloured, fleshy polypores within the Polyporales, best known for the iconic Laetiporus sulphureus (“Chicken of the Woods”) though this is not found in New Zealand. Members of this family are brown-rot fungi, producing thick, soft basidiomes with vivid pigmentation and a unique ecological role in forest decay systems.

Brown-rot saprobes on hardwoods or conifers, depending on species. Some species show strong host specificity. Causes cubical cracking in wood due to cellulose degradation. Found in temperate forests worldwide.