Contents
Phellinus, belonging to the Hymenochetes family, are found on all continents except Antarctica. In the people they are called tinder fungi. Phellinus black-limited is a perennial representative of this genus.
What does fellinus black-limited look like?
This is a prostrate fruiting body. At the beginning of maturation, the specimen resembles a sitting hat, but then gradually grows into the substrate, repeating its shape. The length of the cap reaches 5-10 cm. It is slightly bent from the surface of the tree and has a hoof-shaped shape. Young mushrooms are soft, covered with a felted, velvety skin of a reddish-brown or chocolate color. A distinctive property of black-limited fellinus is a roller-shaped light edge.
Saprotroph grows into the wood body
The fabric of the black-limited tinder fungus has two layers, between which a black stripe passes. The pulp is spongy, friable. With age, the parasites become hard, the felt layer disappears. The fungus becomes bare, covered with moss, grooves appear on the dark surface.
It consists of tubular hymenophores, on the surface of which grayish translucent spores are visible. The length of each is 5 mm.
Where and how to grow
The black-limited tinder fungus prefers coniferous forests and grows on dead trees, in particular, larch, pine, spruce, and fir. It is cosmopolitan and can be seen on the remnants of coniferous wood in all parts of the world. Sometimes the mycelium grows into the wooden floors of residential or warehouse buildings, causes white rot and destroys the wood. Phellinus black-limited is a rare mushroom. It is listed in the Red Book of many European countries.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
The fungus is not edible. There is no information about its toxicity.
Twins and their differences
There are several types of twins.
The inedible Phellinus grape is distinguished by its elongated shape and smaller dimensions: width – 5 cm, thickness – 1,5 cm. The fabric is single-layer, solid, has a cork texture. Settles on pine and spruce wood. The surface of the cap is hard.
2-3 grape tinder, growing together, form a tiled surface
Phellinus rusty-brown also settles on the wood of coniferous trees, causing yellow rot. It has a fully extended shape. The fruit body is brown with lighter edges. More common in the taiga zones of Siberia. The mushroom is inedible.
Several bodies of rusty-brown fellinus merge into one and cover the entire tree
Conclusion
Phellinus black-limited has many related species. Most of these tinder fungi are perennial and inedible representatives of forest gifts. In folk medicine of some countries, their medicinal properties are used to some extent.