Is the tinder fungus edible? Tinder fungus: description, medicinal properties.

Larch tinder fungus should be collected in the spring, while the mushroom is soft and loose.

However, due to the high probability of confusing this type of fungus with other varieties, it is not recommended to use collected tinder fungi for self-medication.

Another common name for the larch polypore is deciduous.

Characteristics

• The consistency of tinder fungus can be both fleshy and woody (hard).
• The fruiting bodies of such mushrooms are often perennial, although annual species are also found. They are represented by a capped, sessile and prostrate form.
• Most tinder fungi are not edible mushrooms.
• Healing properties larch tinder fungus became known a very long time ago - the mushroom has long been used for diseases of the respiratory system, kidneys, liver, bladder, as well as for obesity and poisoning.

Chemical composition

The composition of tinder fungi includes:

• Polysaccharides
• Phytosterols
• Fixed oils
• Glucose
• Organic acids
• Resins

Useful properties

Larch polypore has a healing effect on the body. This mushroom has the following properties:

• Bactericidal
• Antiviral
• General strengthening
• Expectorant
• Antitumor
• Wound healing
• Anti-aging
• Diuretic
• Anti-inflammatory

It also promotes the breakdown of fats and the removal of toxins, carcinogens, poisons and radionuclides from the body. Polypore also has the property of improving digestion, restoring microflora in the intestines and treating constipation. Its destructive effect on Helicobacter allows this mushroom to be used for peptic ulcer Gastrointestinal tract. Also, tinder has a positive effect on nails, skin and hair.

Indications

Indications for the use of larch tinder fungus are:

• Obesity.
• Various poisonings.
• Bladder diseases.
• Kidney diseases.
• Pathologies of the pancreas.
• Hepatitis, cirrhosis and other liver diseases.
• Chronic bronchitis, pleurisy and pneumonia.
• Pulmonary tuberculosis.
• Gout.
• Peptic ulcer disease.
• Cancer of the uterus and other organs.

Contraindications

Larch polypore is not used for:

• Individual intolerance;
• Breastfeeding;
• Pregnancy;
• Children under 5 years of age.

Oil

• Pour crushed larch tinder fungus (3 tablespoons) into 500 ml of oil - olive or linseed.
• Keep the sealed container with this oil in a dark place for two weeks.
• The oil should be taken 30 minutes before meals, twice a day.
• A single dosage of the product is 2-3 teaspoons.
• Treatment should be carried out without interruption for 3-4 months.
• The product is effective for obesity, liver pathologies, bronchitis and other lung diseases.
• This oil also helps remove carcinogens and toxins from the body.
• It is also indicated for intestinal dysbiosis.

Application

In medicine

• Larch polypore can be purchased at the pharmacy in the form of capsules or powder.
• Often, the use of this tinder fungus is combined with the use of other mushrooms. For example, obesity is successfully treated by combining this mushroom with shiitake and chanterelles, as well as reishi.
• External use of dried larch polypore powder is effective for skin diseases - ulcers, wounds and others.

Alcohol tincture of larch polypore

Indications for its use are:

• Liver dysfunction
• Hepatitis
• Pneumonia
• Obesity
• Poisoning
• Cirrhosis
• Sarcoidosis
• Pleurisy
• Pulmonary tuberculosis
• Uterine cancer
• Intestinal dysbiosis
• Chronic bronchitis
• Pancreatic diseases

The mushroom should be chopped and three tablespoons of raw materials should be poured with vodka (half a liter). This product should be infused for 14 days in a dark, cool place. Straining is not necessary, but the tincture should be shaken before use. Take the remedy without interruption for three to four months, drinking 2-3 teaspoons twice a day before meals. If you need to treat uterine cancer, you should additionally douche with an aqueous infusion of this mushroom.

When losing weight

In order to get rid of obesity, an infusion of larch tinder fungus is effective. Taking one tablespoon of crushed dried mushroom, pour a glass of boiling water into a thermos and leave for two hours. The infusion is taken before meals twice a day, half a glass.

In everyday life

• Used in beekeeping as fuel for smokers.
• Used in making souvenirs.

Many people like to pick mushrooms and cook the most delicious ones from them. different dishes. This gift of nature allows you to significantly expand your culinary capabilities. Not everyone knows about the edibility of the sulfur-yellow polypore, where it grows, and how to collect it. Let's learn more about its properties and methods of preparation.

Description and photo

The sulfur-yellow tinder fungus is a representative of the Polyporaceae family. Its cap consists of fused fan-shaped blades that have a common base - a stem. The edges of the cap are wavy, the flesh is quite brittle, but at the same time juicy and soft. The tubular hymenophore is covered with small pores.

Did you know? Previously, before the invention of matches, dried tinder fibers were used as a highly flammable material - tinder - hence the name.

The cap can grow up to 40 cm, and the weight of the mushroom exceeds 10 kg. The yellow surface of the mushroom is covered with small fibers. The older the tinder fungus, the paler its color. The young mushroom secretes yellow watery droplets.

Spread of tinder fungus

Grows on the trunks of deciduous trees: birch, oak, linden, alder, poplar. Can affect many fruit trees in orchards. Mushroom that grows on coniferous trees, classified as a different species, it is not considered edible.

Composition and medicinal properties of the mushroom

Polypore consists mainly of special resinous substances that have a positive effect on the functioning of the lungs and liver, and improve the condition of the biliary tract. It contains amino acids, steroids and glycosides. In medicine it is also used as an antibiotic to treat staphylococci and to obtain weight loss products. It is sometimes used in the treatment of tuberculosis. It has a laxative effect and promotes the breakdown of fats. Chinese traditional healers use this gift of nature to treat cancer and improve immunity.

Is it possible to eat sulfur-yellow tinder fungus?

This mushroom is conditionally edible, you can eat it, but you need to know a few rules. Only a young specimen cut from a deciduous tree is suitable for food. The young mushroom has tender flesh and a sour taste. As it ages, it changes color, becomes hard and smells unpleasant, and contains toxins.

Proper heat treatment is required, after which it does not change its color. You must strictly adhere to the cooking recipe.
Even after a long heat treatment you can't use tinder fungus large quantities. Allergic reactions, dizziness, and nausea may occur. It is not recommended for children, pregnant and lactating women to eat it.

Important! If the sulfur-yellow tinder fungus grows on coniferous trees, then it cannot be eaten. There is a danger of poisoning and hallucinations.

Collection rules and deadlines

Experienced mushroom pickers can distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones. If a person is not sure, then it is better not to take it; this rule also applies to tinder fungus.

When to pick mushrooms

Tinder fungus can be collected from the end of May to the beginning of September. It can be found not only in forests, but also in parks, squares and gardens.

It is necessary to take only young mushrooms; they are distinguished by their bright color, from yellow to orange, and soft flesh, covered with droplets resembling dew. As they age, they become hard, grayish, the color darkens, and when the process of rotting begins, they become pale and smell unpleasant.

How to properly cut tinder fungus

It is necessary to cut off the soft part near the trunk of a hardwood tree using a knife. The hard part is located near the stem at the base and is not suitable for food. The hat on the cut should be white, tender and soft to the touch. The sour taste is reminiscent of lemon, the smell is mushroom, a little specific.

Important! The most delicious tinder fungus grows on fruit trees, but on oak it develops, which is too hard and tasteless, unsuitable for food.

Sulfur-yellow polypore: recipes

For cooking, you must use personally collected mushrooms; only then can you be sure of their origin and safety. It is important to prepare this delicacy correctly. It is recommended to soak it in cold water for several hours before starting, after cutting it into small slices. Change the water every hour, adding fresh water.

How to cook mushrooms

It is necessary to cook in salted water for at least 40-50 minutes. During the cooking process, the mushroom does not lose its bright color, does not decrease in volume and retains its shape and elasticity. It goes well with meat and has a meatier rather than mushroom taste. Perfectly complements minced meat, it makes juicy cutlets. It also serves as a tasty and nutritious filling for various pies.

It resembles the taste of chicken and is often used by vegetarians to prepare various salads. You can cook nutritious soups and other dishes with it.

VIDEO: HOW TO COOK SULFUR-YELLOW TINDER IN SOUR CREAM

Fried tinder fungi

The fried tinder fungus is especially tasty. First, it must be boiled in salted water for about 40 minutes. Cool, cut into strips or cubes and fry on vegetable oil another half hour. You can add spices and herbs.

It turns out delicious if you fry the mushroom along with onions and garlic, and at the end add sour cream and simmer everything together for about 10 minutes.

Did you know? Tribes North America This mushroom was called tree chicken and was used to communicate with spirits.

VIDEO: RECIPE FOR COOKING FRIED SULPHUR-YELLOW TANDER WITH ONION AND DILL So, we found out that the sulfur-yellow tinder fungus is an excellent alternative to meat. With its help, you can diversify your diet with new, original dish. The main thing is to collect and prepare this delicacy correctly, stick to proven recipes and not overuse it.

Tinder fungi - everyone famous mushrooms, which cause mistrust among many mushroom pickers. Actually there are edible ones, completely safe types, which can be prepared as regular mushrooms. And tinder fungi are also used for medicinal purposes, so neglecting them is at least unfounded.

Polypores are well-known mushrooms that cause mistrust among many mushroom pickers.

The tinder fungus is a mushroom that belongs to the group from the Basidiomycetes department. This group itself is non-systematic – i.e. unite in it different types, which are similar in type of nutrition and lifestyle features, but at the same time they are very different appearance, structure and characteristics of reproduction. The popular name is chaga mushroom. This is the name given to a keratinized, hardened growth, often found on birch trees and other trees. deciduous trees.

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The tinder fungus is a real record holder in the kingdom of Mushrooms. Some representatives grow up to 1.6 meters in diameter and weigh 5-6 kilograms.

The tinder fungus is a mushroom that belongs to the group from the Basidiomycetes department

Edible tinder or not?

This question can definitely be answered this way: there are edible types of mushrooms, and there are inedible ones, and the latter are the majority. At the same time, poisonous representatives cannot be distinguished among them - in fact, the pulp of the mushroom is safe for humans, but in many species it is quite tough and is much inferior in taste to other mushrooms.

Before you go into the forest, you should study the photographs well edible species, which tasty enough different recipes(more details in the corresponding section):

1. The tinder fungus is sulfur-yellow.
2. Liverwort (common liverwort).
3. The tinder fungus is scaly (or variegated).
4. Umbrella tinder fungus.

PLEASE NOTE

Since most tinder fungi are inedible or have peculiar taste qualities, you should not take those mushrooms that you are not sure about. And one more thing important rule– you should not take mushrooms near roads and enterprises: they accumulate heavy metals and other harmful substances.

The tinder fungus literally sucks water and nutrients from wood

What and how does the tinder fungus feed?

Different types of these fungi settle on tree trunks and over several years penetrate inside with mycelial shoots. Thus, the tinder fungus literally sucks water and nutritional components from the wood - it feeds on substances that are synthesized in birch, aspen or other wood. As a result, it begins to die and after a few years rots.

Polypore affects different types of trees

Description of the fruiting body of the tinder fungus

The fruiting bodies of different types of polypores differ greatly in color. Many of them have a characteristic feature - as they grow, they become rigid and turn into completely hardened formations, similar to hoof-like outgrowths. The tinder fungus affects different types of trees - birch, aspen, alder, poplar, and willow. However on coniferous plants much less common– obviously, the resin of these trees inhibits the development of mycelium.

Currently, the chemical composition of the fungus has not been fully studied. However, it is certain that It contains quite a few substances that are beneficial to humans:

• polysaccharides that suppress the growth of cancer cells and strengthen the immune system;
• saponins and polyphenols necessary for normal metabolism;
• tannins;
• sexviterpenes.

Due to this, it is used as a treatment for:

Some traditional medicine recipes are discussed in the corresponding section.

By killing old trees, tinder fungi make room in the forest for new ones.

Why is tinder fungus dangerous for trees?

For trees, the tinder fungus is harmful because it literally sucks water from the wood and organic matter. The process is underway for many years, so the effect is not immediately noticeable. As a result, the plant dries out and becomes fragile, as a result of which, after a small hurricane, it breaks and falls to the ground along with the tinder fungus, which continues to feed on it.

However, even such seemingly harmful activities bring benefits. By killing old trees, tinder fungi make room in the forest for new ones, and thus, in a sense, they can be considered the orderlies of the forest. The mushroom is also useful for its chemical composition – many of its types are used in folk medicine for the treatment of various diseases (more details in the corresponding section).

How to cook tinder (video)

Harm of tinder fungus to the human body

The tinder fungus does not pose a particular threat to human health, however inedible species can be very difficult to digest and cause bloating, a feeling of heaviness and even vomiting. Poisoning can only be caused by those fruiting bodies that grow near roads and industrial production.

However, it is not recommended to eat mushrooms for people who suffer from chronic diseases stomach and intestines, pregnant and lactating women. You should also not collect old representatives of edible species - they greatly lose their taste and become too tough over time, which is why most mushroom pickers dislike them.

Common types of tinder fungus

Currently, several dozen species of these fungi have been described. They are quite widespread, because in most cases they are unpretentious to living conditions - wherever a sufficient number of deciduous trees grow, the tinder fungus will inevitably settle. These mushrooms are found in Russia from the European part to Siberia and Far East, throughout Europe and the USA. They prefer temperate climate, therefore, they are insignificantly distributed in tropical latitudes.

Below are several species that are most often found in our country. First comes the edible varieties.

Gallery: tinder fungus (43 photos)

Sulfur-yellow tinder fungus

This species has a beautiful bright yellow coloration. It always grows in groups and is found in our country only in the European part. Most of all he likes to settle on oaks, cherry trees, poplars, rowan trees and beeches. Feature– a family of mushrooms resembles foam frozen on the bark of a tree.

You can take a whole nest of mushrooms at once, and it is better not to use too large ones; it is better not to use old representatives. And one more important rule for collecting - while sulfur-yellow polypores from deciduous trees are absolutely safe, then it is better not to collect them from coniferous trees - there is a slight chance of mild poisoning.

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In Germany and the USA, this species is considered a real delicacy: it is called “chicken of the woods” for its similar taste to fried chicken. And in Israel there is a farm that specifically grows this particular mushroom.

Sulfur-yellow tinder fungus

Common liverwort

The color of the cap resembles a liver, which is why the mushroom got its name. It also prefers the climate of the European territory of Russia, especially often settling under oak or chestnut trees.

Only young liverworts are eaten. It has a pleasant taste, with a slight sourness. Most often it is fried or stewed with onions and potatoes, like other mushrooms.

This species has a soft and rather thick cap. Unlike many other tinder fungi, it even has a stalk, so it looks like an ordinary mushroom. Grows in middle lane our country. It is quite common in birch forests and grows even in the most unfavorable seasons due to its unpretentiousness.

However, mushroom pickers rarely take it because the pulp is quite hard. Most often it is consumed after prolonged cooking.

Scaly polypore (variegated)

Umbrella tinder fungus

It is rare in our country, but in neighboring China it is a very popular mushroom. It has small fruiting bodies, which, however, always grow large families. It got its name from its umbrella-shaped hat.

Mainly prefers mild climates and oak, beech, and hornbeam forests. Along with the cap, it has a stem that resembles a rolled tube. In Chinese cuisine it is consumed both fried and boiled.

False tinder fungus

Unlike the real thing, it is very tenaciously attached to the tree trunk. It has gray, beige and brown (sometimes rusty) shades of the fruiting body. This mushroom has no legs at all., and the cap is quite large - with age it reaches 25 cm in diameter.

Varnished tinder fungus

This mushroom has a very beautiful fruiting body, reminiscent in color of strongly brewed tea. Its surface is glossy and sparkles in the sun, which is how the species got its name. It is best known in China, Korea and Japan, where it is even nicknamed the “mushroom of immortality” because extracts of this species are used in local folk medicine.

Varnished tinder fungus

Multi-colored tinder fungus

Methods for preparing edible tinder fungus

You can cook tinder fungi like regular mushrooms. Here are some simple recipes.

Scaly tinder soup

This species can be used to make dumpling soup. Boil 300 g of finely chopped caps, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for half an hour. Then they are taken out and minced in a meat grinder, and dumplings, potatoes, herbs and spices are cooked in the broth - to taste. The chopped mushrooms are again added to the soup and brought to a boil, after which they are simmered over low heat for another quarter of an hour.

Sulfur-yellow tinder fungus salad

Take 200 g of mushroom, boil in salted water for an hour, cool and cut. Sour cream, onion, vinegar or lemon are added to the salad, as well as salt and herbs to taste. You can enhance the nutritional value of potatoes.

Multi-colored tinder fungus

Roasted liverwort

This type of mushroom can be fried with onions and potatoes. But first you need to cook it for half an hour over low heat in salted water. Salt, herbs and spices are added to taste.

Tinder fungus in homeopathy and traditional medicine

Polypores are used for medical purposes internally and externally.

1. To prepare an alcohol tincture, take a tablespoon of crushed dry mushroom, fill it with a half-liter bottle of vodka and dilute it with 2 glasses. cold water. It infuses very quickly - in 3-4 days.
2. For the decoction, boil the same amount of mushroom in 2 glasses of water for half an hour, cool and filter. This decoction is used both internally and externally.

PLEASE NOTE

Since the composition of many species of these mushrooms has not been fully studied, consultation with a doctor before starting treatment is mandatory.

Useful properties of tinder fungus (video)

How to prevent tree tinder infestation

If in nature the tinder fungus is the orderly of the forest, then not a single gardener would want to see such a “helper” on his trees. To protect garden plants from an uninvited guest, there are several simple ways:

1. Regular thorough inspection for foreign formations - young tinder fungi are much easier to separate from the trunk than old ones.
2. It is better to soak any cuts on trees with fungicides, carbolic acid or copper sulfate - fungal spores penetrate mainly through open areas.
3. If the tinder fungus is discovered on a tree too late, it is better to remove it anyway, so that the fungus does not produce spores that can infect other trees. In turn, all other trees must be immediately treated with fungicides.

Polypores are both useful and harmful mushrooms simultaneously. If you correctly apply protective measures and even just regularly monitor the trees, nothing threatens the garden - the fruiting bodies develop quite slowly.

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Kira Stoletova

The Basidiomycetes family is a non-systematic group that includes species of fungi that are similar in type of nutrition and lifestyle, but different in appearance and type of reproduction. The tinder fungus, or chaga, belongs to this department. Found on the bark of deciduous trees.

Appearance of the mushroom

The tinder fungus reaches 1.6 m in diameter and weighs 5-6 kg. The fruiting body of the tinder fungus, as it ages, is transformed into a keratinized formation, the structure of which resembles tree bark. Externally, the plant resembles hoof-like shoots.

Description of the tinder fungus:

Types of mushroom

Types of tinder fungi:

• umbrella tinder, oak, red;
• tinder fungus, humpbacked;
• deciduous tinder fungus (larch);
• sheep tinder fungus, tuberous fungus - grows on a stalk, using soil as a substrate;
• branched polypore, coconut poria;
• winter tinder fungus;
• coarse-haired tinder fungus;
• true beveled tinder fungus (oblique-tubular);
• fox (orange) tinder fungus;
• bordered (lamellar) tinder fungus.

The type of tinder fungus that affects the roots of trees is called sewing fungus. In the forests of the Russian Federation, lumpy, oak, black, brown, scaly, spruce (gartiga), and agaricus are common.

Polypore is an edible mushroom. Some varieties are considered inedible, because their taste is much inferior to other mushrooms. In general, they are almost harmless.

Poisonous tinder fungi - false and volatile.

The fruiting body has an unusual structure. It withstands winter cold, summer heat, and high humidity. Perennial eukaryotes belonging to the kingdom of fungi destroy wood. Spores penetrate damaged wood and begin to actively reproduce. The tubular hymenophore consists of thin threads - hyphae.

The hyphae penetrate into the deep layers of the cortex and, releasing enzymes, dissolve even the most durable cell membranes on which the fruit feeds. Under the action of enzymes, a red and brown putrefactive solution is formed. Thin hyphae are transformed into thick skeletal ones. Saprophytes use wood as a substrate.

According to the shape of the fruiting body, they are distinguished:

• sessile species - attached to the tree on one side, may have a side leg;
• prostrate - cakes adhered to wood: color black or brown, depending on the shade of the bark;
• growing on a stalk.

Useful properties

The medicinal properties of tinder fungus have been used for a long time. Examples of its use are found in medical literature Ancient Greece, China. The tinder fungus is a saprophyte containing a lot of resinous substances, polysaccharides, vitamins and minerals. The young May mushroom is especially beneficial.

Peculiarities medicinal tinder fungus consist in hemostatic, antimicrobial action. Agaric acid helps eliminate toxins, cleanses the body of toxins and cholesterol plaques. Polysaccharide lanophiles allow you to gently cleanse the liver and improve blood circulation.

In garden conditions, the appearance of fungi on trees is prevented by following basic agrotechnical rules. If you do not carry out preventive measures in time, but simply remove mushrooms from the bark, they grow every year and, like a sponge, absorb useful substances from cambium. As a result, the tree will have to be uprooted.

Contraindications

Taking medications based on tinder fungi can cause serious allergic reaction, so be sure to take precautions. Improperly prepared young tinder fungus causes poisoning. It is edible, but pregnancy and lactation are contraindications for treatment with tinder fungi. Children are not treated with tinder fungi at all.

You should refuse therapy if you have a history of urolithiasis or gallbladder dysfunction. For diarrhea, do not use leaf polypore: it has a laxative effect.

Areas of application

There are several areas of application of tinder fungi: cooking, cosmetology, medicine. Each has its own variety.

Eyelash, smoky, cedar and pink are commonly used in cosmetology. They are used to produce rejuvenation products. Under the influence of agaric acid, Bacillus subtilis is destroyed. Some species are used in cooking. They are actively researching the production of drugs that can save people from AIDS.

In cooking

In cooking they use umbrella, maple, sheep, scaly, and real (ordinary) tinder fungi. Mushrooms do not have a good taste, so they enjoy dubious success in cooking. Only young specimens are suitable for food. Polypores are usually pickled, dried and salted.

Mushrooms should be collected away from highways. They are like a sponge, absorbing toxins from external environment. Fungi that live on the bark of living plants are of great benefit.

In medicine

The larch tinder fungus is the most useful. Field of application: treatment of obesity. Nutritionists prescribe a drug based on it for weight loss to patients with metabolic disorders. It is useful for constipation and dysbiosis.

Birch and aspen tinder fungi are close in composition to larch. They have analgesic properties and stimulate regeneration at the cellular level. Medicinal mushroom is used to combat various pathologies internal organs. Saprotrophs are used in Eastern countries to treat impotence and cancer.

Doctors warn of danger self-treatment. Before taking eukaryotic-based drugs, you must consult with your doctor and select the appropriate variety for treatment. When purchasing a drug, be sure to carefully review the instructions and take into account possible side effects.

The most useful mushrooms are those that grow in birch and aspen. They prevent the development of blood poisoning and improve the condition nervous system, help bring down the temperature. A medicinal product based on live bacteria, called Befungin, is sold in pharmacies. Some mushroom pickers make their own medicine.

The mushroom must be carefully collected by cutting sharp knife from a tree. It is then dried in the sun and ground into powder. For 5 g of powdered raw materials, take 150 ml of alcohol. The tincture is used in the treatment of diseases of the ENT organs, as dietary supplement. Eukaryote-based ointment is made by mixing powder with vegetable oil.

The leafy medicinal tinder fungus acts as a natural sorbent. Usage medicines based on it, it helps prevent the development of infection. Ointments are used to restore wound surfaces. Representatives of the species grow on deciduous trees, as the name suggests.

The multi-colored flat mushroom, merging with the bark of the tree, is harvested in May. The raw materials are thoroughly dried, crushed and used as a hemostatic agent. The tincture helps in the treatment of immunodeficiency. Collecting medicinal mushroom, it is better to use a special toxicity determinant.

Growing methods

Take the flat white mycelium of the fungus and mix it thoroughly with the soil mixture. The mass is placed in plastic bags, cuts are made in them, and then placed in conditions high humidity(80%). As soon as the first harvest appears, it is collected and used for its intended purpose.

Dry hemp or wood blocks are well suited for growing. After making a deep cut in the trunk, white mycelium is placed into it. The bacteria will grow faster in higher humidity. After 4 months, a generation of mushrooms appears, which are removed to get a new one.

Everyone is familiar with this mushroom: someone has heard about its miraculous properties, someone even bought it at the pharmacy, and everyone, without exception, has at least once met this handsome man in the forest, mistaking it for an ordinary growth on a tree. The tinder fungus is real - unique and interesting representative mushroom kingdom. What does this mushroom look like and how can it be used?

The true tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius) or larch belongs to the genus Fomes, family Coriolidae. This is an inedible saprophyte mushroom, which is also called blood sponge or larch sponge. The woody representative of the mushroom kingdom has other Latin names:

• Polyporus fomentarius;
• Ungulina fomentaria;
• Boletus fomentarius;
• Fomes griseus.

The name “blood sponge” did not come from the tinder fungus by chance – it has the property of stopping blood.

• The fruiting body of the fungus is very dense, woody, sessile, since it does not have a stalk; in young representatives of the species it is shaped like a semicircle, and in adults it is hoof-shaped. Formed on tree trunks and connected to it by the side; quite large, from 5 to 40 cm in diameter. Thickness is from 5 to 20 cm. The surface is smooth to the touch, but uneven, wavy, sometimes with cracks, with conical ridges along the edges. The color is matte gray in various shades (the older the tinder fungus, the brighter the upper part of the fruiting body), with clearly visible concentric zones. In rare cases, dense top layer may have a beige or yellowish tint. Old mushrooms may be black. In depressions and pits on the surface the shade is darker than the main color;
• the pulp is corky, woody, very dense. Velvety to the touch when cut. It has a yellowish, brownish, reddish color and a pleasant fruity aroma;
• the hymenophore (spore-bearing layer) is tubular, light gray or whitish in color. When pressed, its shade changes to a darker one. Since the tinder fungus is a long-lived mushroom, the spore-bearing layer grows annually: a new one grows on the old layer;
• spores are white, smooth, elongated.

Distribution and fruiting period

The true tinder fungus is widespread. It lives almost everywhere in the European part of the world and throughout Russia, in the northern hemisphere globe. The tinder fungus grows on deciduous trees, mainly on birch, alder, beech, and is common on aspen and oak. It is found on old stumps, dying and dead trees, and dried woody plants. Grows in rows or singly.

The real tinder fungus often settles on weakened, but still living and strong trees, gradually destroying their tissue. This fungus often causes the development of white rot on plants. Polypore spores enter the tree tissue through cracks and other damage to the bark and breaks in the branches.

Similar species

The real tinder fungus has practically no counterparts in the world of mushrooms - it is too specific, attached to tree trunks, and has a unique cap color. But common features are visible with the false polypore (Phellinus igniarius), but the hero of the article is much easier to detach from the tree than a representative of this species, especially if you tear it off from the bottom up.

Also, a true tinder fungus can be confused with a fringed tinder fungus (Fomitopsis pinicola). However, the second one can also live on coniferous trees, and its fruiting bodies are flatter in appearance. The main difference is the bright border along the edge of the cap.

Both similar species are inedible, and the false tinder fungus is not used even for economic purposes.

Collection and procurement rules

Real tinder fungi can be harvested all year round, collecting them yourself. However, you should only take mushrooms that grow on living wood.

Fruit bodies and infusions from them must be stored in the refrigerator. The mushroom is usually used a couple of times a year for a month in the form of an infusion of vodka or boiling water. In some cases, the period of treatment or prophylaxis can be increased to 4 months.

Medicinal properties and uses

The true polypore contains various medicinal components and has been used in medicine since ancient times. Basic medicinal properties:

• preventing the development of cancerous tumors;
• the ability to stop bleeding, since the pores of the tinder fungus perfectly absorb blood;
• the ability to remove toxins from the body thanks to agaric acid;
• liver cleansing thanks to the polysaccharide lanofil;
• help with cough, tuberculosis, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.

The use of tinder fungus was widespread in Tsarist Russia- at one time the mushroom was even supplied to foreign countries. He is called the king of all medicinal drugs. The mushroom was used for medicinal purposes in Ancient Greece, where it was considered a panacea for various pathologies of internal organs, against depression and an antidote. Previously, it was even used in surgery.

In China, the mushroom is used for weight loss, problems with digestive tract, with impotence. And women believe that this mushroom can improve the condition of nails and skin.

Attention: Pregnant and lactating women should not use tinder fungus.

The real tinder fungus is truly a versatile mushroom. It is also used for the production of souvenirs, kindling for smokers in beekeeping, and used as tinder. However, it continues to cause harm forest plantations and landscapes. But in general, the “addiction” of the fungus to the destruction of living trees can be forgiven, because it also brings a lot of benefits to humans.