How to distinguish chaga from tinder fungus: what is the difference

Tinder fungus and chaga are parasitic species that grow on tree trunks. The latter can often be found on a birch, which is why it received the appropriate name – birch mushroom. Despite the similar habitat, these varieties of polypore fungus are strikingly different not only in appearance, but also in properties.

What is chaga

It is a species of basidiomycetes of the genus Inonotus. Only the barren form of the birch fungus is called chaga. In the literature, you can also find other names of the described species – Trutovik beveled or Inonotus beveled. You can find such a basidiomycete not only on birch, but also on maple, elm, beech, alder. If a tree has a break, damage to the bark, and spores of the parasitic organism Inonotusobliquus got into it, as a result of such infection, chaga is formed.

A few years after the lesion, an irregularly shaped fruiting body is formed on the tree trunk.

It grows over decades, unlike the tinder fungus, which matures in a season. As a result, the inonotus beveled in diameter can reach up to 30 cm, and in thickness – up to 15 cm.

The color of the growth is blue-black, the surface is uneven, covered with bumps and cracks. At the break, you can see that the inside of the fruiting body is dark brown and is all pierced with white tubules. The growth of inonotus bevel continues for 20 years, this leads to the death of the tree on which it settled.

What is a tinder

This is a large group of saprophytes that belong to the section Basidiomycetes. They parasitize on wood, leading to the death of the plant. But, unlike chaga, polypore fungi sometimes grow in the soil.

You can find them in park areas, pastures, along roadsides.

Unlike inonotus oblique, tinder fungi have prostrate, sessile bodies in the form of a semicircle, a flattened sponge or a large hoof. The consistency of their pulp is hard, woody, corky or spongy.

The stem of the fruiting body is often absent

But species are known in which this part of the sporocarp has not atrophied.

This group of basidiomycetes has a tubular hymenophore, but some representatives of the species are distinguished by a spongy structure. The shape and mass of different types of polypore fungi is strikingly different. The size of some specimens can reach up to 1,5 m, and weight up to 2-3 kg.

How to distinguish tinder fungus from chaga

Chaga, unlike the tinder fungus, has an irregular shape in the form of a growth. Such a fungal organism can reach enormous sizes, affecting almost the entire trunk of a birch or other type of deciduous tree. Polypore mushrooms grow locally, encircling the trunk, creating a semicircle shape. There may be several more specimens of this species nearby.

In the photo of chaga and tinder fungus, you can see that the surface of the birch fungus is always black and loose, unlike the tinder fungus.

Birch mushroom is famous for its variety of colors, depending on the species, and smooth, velvety skin.

In wet weather, polypore fungi secrete water droplets on the surface, inonotus oblique remains dry.

Chaga grows and develops on faults, damaged areas of wood, in contrast to it, the tinder fungus grows everywhere.

The inner part of the birch growth is bright yellow, orange, in the tinder fungus it is white, light gray, yellowish or cream

The places where the inonotus adjoins the tree contain wood in its composition, in contrast to it, the fruiting body of the tinder fungus consists only of its cells.

The polypore fungus is easy to separate from the tree, unlike the beveled inonotus, which is almost impossible to remove without the help of a tool.

Mostly in Siberia, it is cut down with an ax, then it is cleaned from the remnants of wood.

There is an opinion that birch tinder fungus and chaga are one and the same, but this is not entirely true. Inonotus beveled is popularly called a birch mushroom, but these species have a lot of differences. Experienced mushroom pickers in the video clearly show how to distinguish chaga from tinder fungus:

Application of fungus

Only the growths that form on the birch are considered medicinal. They contain resins, agaric acid, manganese in large quantities. Traditional medicine suggests that chaga is able to increase immunity, improve metabolism, relieve chronic fatigue syndrome, gastritis and ulcers.

Harvest inonotus beveled for medical purposes, starting in August

There is evidence that the use of tea with the addition of dried basidiomycete eliminates cancerous tumors, but this has not been scientifically proven. The growth is cleaned from the tree with an ax, the light woody part is removed, the mushroom is divided into small parts. Then the raw material is dried in fresh air or in an oven at a temperature not higher than + 60 ᵒС.

Chaga is used as a medicinal tea. A small amount of dried, crushed fruit body is steamed with boiling water, infused and drunk like tea. Also, inonotus beveled is used for the preparation of healing baths that cleanse the skin.

In the pharmaceutical industry, biologically active additives and suppositories are made, which include chaga extract.

The use of tinder fungus

Some varieties of this class are also used in traditional medicine. For example, bordered tinder fungus is used to treat the liver, diseases of the digestive tract.

Other diseases cured with the help of tinder fungus:

• blood incoagulability;
• diseases of the genitourinary system;
• gout;
• insomnia;
• obesity.

Unlike inonotus oblique, this basidiomycete is also used in everyday life. The dried fruiting body of the saprophyte is useful for lighting stoves and fireplaces. If you set fire to a dry piece of pulp and leave it to smolder, you can get rid of annoying insects in the room for a long time.

Conclusion

Tinder fungus and chaga are parasitic organisms that have a lot of external differences. The only similarity is that they destroy the trees they grow on. Unlike the polypore fungus, inonotus oblique has a woody structure and sprouts directly from the trunk, it is easy to recognize by its loose structure and black color. The tinder fungus is attached to the side of the wood, its flesh is spongy, and the color and shape are varied. There are many differences between these basidiomycetes, therefore, having studied their description in detail, it is difficult to make a mistake in choosing.