Polypores

Tinder fungi are a group of fungi that are parasitic. But they help renew the forest and remove old diseased trees, so there is an obvious benefit to them. In addition, among them there are also edible species.

Fruit bodies of tinder fungi can be seen on tree trunks (less often on the soil).

There are more than 1.5 thousand species of tinder fungus, here are some of them:

Found on larches, cedars and fir. It is distinguished by a thick fruiting body up to 30 cm long, yellow or white, with a rough surface, rounded edges, furrows and brown areas. At first it is soft, but later becomes hard and crumbly. This mushroom tastes bitter. Such a fungus in the past served as a raw material for the extraction of tinder. Often grows on dead deciduous trees and dead wood. larch tinder fungus discussed in detail in another article.

Such a mushroom has flat caps up to 50 cm in diameter, on which there are uneven influxes and a brown matte crust. It occurs mainly on birch trees (less often on coniferous trees) - on deadwood and stumps.

It is distinguished by a reddish-brown shiny hat, the presence of a leg and medicinal properties. Another name for such a tinder fungus is reishi. Read more about it in another article.

It has flat light rounded caps, depressed in the center, collected in large fruiting bodies up to 40 cm in diameter and weighing up to 4 kg.This is a very rare tinder fungus, noted in the Red Book.

The peculiarities of this type of tinder fungus is the yellow-orange color of its fruiting bodies. In diameter, such a mushroom reaches 50 cm. It grows on weakened or dead trees in gardens, parks and forests.

Differs in flat-convex yellow-brown caps, hard gray-yellow legs, elastic pulp. Grows on roots, stumps and trunks of deciduous trees. Fruiting from May to December. Edible when young.

A feature of such a tinder fungus is the triangular section of the fruiting bodies. The young fungus is spongy and moist, but later dries out and becomes hard. The diameter of the fruiting body of such a tinder fungus is up to 25 cm, height - up to 35 cm.

Mushroom up to 10 cm high with funnel-shaped bright caps with wavy edges and hard legs, tapering to the base. It grows on deadwood and stumps in damp places.

Such tinder fungi have semicircular sessile caps, covered with stiff gray hairs about 5 mm long, growing vertically in bunches. This species is found on deciduous trees - on trunks, deadwood, branches and stumps. Occasionally grows on wooden structures and fences.

This fungus has a funnel-shaped light cap up to 10 cm in diameter and a hard stem up to 1 cm thick. Its flesh is leathery at first and later hardens strongly. This tinder fungus grows in forests and parks mainly on deadwood.

Mushroom with a smooth whitish surface, spherical fruiting bodies and white flesh, which has a pronounced mushroom smell and bitter taste.This tinder fungus grows only on birches. Can be eaten at an early age. This tinder fungus contains polyporenic acid, which has anti-inflammatory activity.

Differs in annual semicircular flat bodies with a wrinkled surface of a yellow-orange hue (later - brown), which grow in rows or tiers on dead and live hornbeams, aspens, lindens, birches and other trees.

A feature of this tinder fungus is the velvety surface of fruiting bodies with concentric zones of different colors - from yellow to brown-blue. This mushroom grows in groups on stumps and dead trees (usually deciduous).

Such a mushroom has open, light, fleshy caps up to 30 cm in diameter, elastic dense flesh, and eccentrically located legs. Such a tinder fungus grows in parks and forests on weakened and living trees (often on elms).

Differs in annual hoof-shaped fruiting bodies up to 10 cm in diameter with a bumpy red surface and red flesh. Found on decaying and weakened deciduous trees.

A feature of this tinder fungus is the aniseed aroma of its rusty-brown fruiting body. Such a mushroom often grows on deadwood and stumps of coniferous trees.

It is distinguished by the presence of a small hump at the base of a flat fruiting body. Often, the top of the mushroom is covered with algae, giving it a green color. It occurs mainly on stumps, fallen trees and deadwood of hornbeams, beeches, birches.

These mushrooms have flat caps that have hairs or warts. Their color is first gray-yellow, later brown.The flesh of such a tinder fungus is rusty brown. Such a mushroom grows on stumps and roots that protrude from the ground.

A red-brown mushroom with a diameter of 10-30 cm. The pulp of such a mushroom looks like a liver or fresh meat. It has a sour taste and fruity aroma. Such a mushroom grows most often on old oaks, often in hollows.

Most of the tinder fungi are inedible and therefore they are not used for food, in addition to winter, sulfur-yellow, umbrella and scaly tinder fungi. Young hats (they begin to collect in May-July) of such mushrooms can be eaten boiled, pickled and salted.

Polypores are diverse in appearance, properties and applications, they are used in various areas of life, depending on the species.

You can learn more about tinder fungi from the following video.

Another tinder fungus, which is often used in traditional medicine, is chaga. Read about it in another article.