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The cinnabar-red tinder fungus is attributed by scientists to the Polypore family. The second name of the fungus is cinnabar-red pycnoporus. In Latin, the fruiting bodies are called Pycnoporus cinnabarinus.
The species has a very catchy coloration
Tinder fungus are types of fungi that grow on wood. It is very rare to find it on the ground.
Description of cinnabar-red tinder fungus
The fungus has a sessile hoof-shaped fruiting body. Sometimes it is round. The diameter of the fungus is 6-12 cm, the thickness is about 2 cm. The color of the tinder fungus changes during its growth. Young specimens are painted in cinnabar red, then they fade and acquire an ocher or light carrot tone. The pores permanently retain a cinnabar-red color. The fruit is adherent, the flesh is red, cork structure. The upper surface of the mushroom is velvety. Cinnabar-red pycnoporus belongs to annual mushrooms, but can be stored on a tree for a long time. The fungus owes its color to the dye cinnabarin of a similar shade, which, according to researchers, has antiviral and antimicrobial effects.
The spores of the species are tubular, the size is medium, the powder is white.
Settles on weakened or dead trees
Where and how to grow
The red tinder fungus is considered cosmopolitan. It has a wide growing area. In Our Country, it is found in any region. Only a tropical climate does not suit the mushroom, there are no such areas in the Federation. Therefore, the tinder fungus is found throughout the territory from the European part of the country to the regions of the Far East.
Mushrooms grow in groups, arranged randomly
Pycnoporus sprouts on dead or weakened trees. It can be found on branches, trunks, stumps. Prefers hardwoods – birch, mountain ash, aspen, cherry, poplar. As a rare exception, the red tinder fungus can settle on needles. Mushrooms cause the development of white rot, but it does not penetrate deep into the wood.
Fruiting from late May to November. The fruiting bodies on the trees persist through the winter.
Fruiting bodies look like a bright spot among the white snow
How fruiting bodies grow is shown in the video:
Is the mushroom edible or not?
It belongs to the inedible group, the species is not eaten. No toxic substances were found in its composition, but the rigidity of the fruiting bodies does not allow preparing a single edible dish from them.
Twins and their differences
The color of the fruiting body is so unique that it is almost impossible to confuse it with any other species. But still, there are slightly similar instances. In the Far East, there is a similar pycnoporus – blood-red (Pycnoporus sanguineus). Its fruiting bodies are much smaller and more intensely colored. Therefore, mushroom pickers, due to inexperience, can confuse species.
The small size of the fruiting body clearly distinguishes the blood-red tinder fungus from the cinnabar red
Another species that has an external resemblance to cinnabar red is Pycnoporellus brilliant (Pycnoporellus fulgens). Its hat is distinguished by its orange color; it can be found on the wood of fir trees. These characteristics allow not to confuse species.
The species grows on spruce wood in contrast to cinnabar-red tinder
The common liverwort (Fistulina hepatica) has a slight external resemblance. This is an edible pycnoporus from the Fistuliaceae family. This mushroom has a smooth, shiny surface of the cap. The pulp is thick and fleshy. It prefers to settle on oak or chestnut trunks, the fruiting season is the end of summer.
Many people are happy to include the liverwort in their diet.
The use of cinnabar-red tinder in industry
Developing, the fungus destroys the lignin contained in the composition of the wood. This process occurs with the help of enzymes that are used in the paper industry – laccase. Therefore, the species is called technical and is used in the production of cellulose from industrial waste. Lakcase gives plant cells stiffness.
Conclusion
Cinnabar red tinder is not very common. Studying the external description will help not to confuse the mushroom with edible varieties of the family.