Phellinus tuberculosis (Phellinus tuberculosus)
Systematics:
- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Incertae sedis (undefined)
- Order: Hymenochaetales
- Family: Hymenochaetaceae (Hymenochetes)
- Genus: Phellinus (Fellinus)
- Species: Phellinus tuberculosus (Phellinus tuberous)
Synonyms:
-
Plum False Polypore
- Phellinus pomaceus
- Boletus tuberculosus
- Ochroporus tuberculosus
- Boletus pomaceus
- Boletus scutiformis
- Fomes prunicola
- Pseudofomes prunicola
- Hemidiscia prunorum
- Scalaria fusca
- Boudiera scalaria
- Polyporus sorbi
- Polyporus igniarius var. effusoreflexus
- Polyporus corni
Description
Fruit bodies are perennial, small (up to 7 cm in diameter). Their shape varies from fully or partially open (which is very characteristic of this species), cushion – to hoof-shaped. The cap is often beveled down, the hymenophore is convex. Partially prostrate and hoof-like forms are often arranged in tiled groups.
Young caps are velvety, rusty brown (up to bright red), with age, the surface becomes corky, gray (up to black) and cracks. The rounded sterile margin is rufous, slightly paler than the hymenophore.
The surface of the hymenophore is brown, from ocher or reddish to tobacco. The pores are round, sometimes angular, 5-6 x 1 mm.
The fabric is rusty-brown, hard, woody.
The spores are more or less globular or broadly ellipsoid, 4.5-6 x 4-4.5 μ, colorless to yellowish.
Spread
False tinder fungus grows on live and shriveled trunks of representatives of the genus Prunus (especially on plums – for which it got its name – but also on cherries, cherries, bird cherry trees, hawthorns, cherry plums and apricots). Sometimes it can be found on an apple tree and a pear, but apart from the trees of the Rosaceae family, it does not grow on anything else. Causes white rot. Found in forests and gardens of the northern temperate zone.
Similar species
On the same tree species, the blackish tinder fungus Phellinus nigricans is found, which differs in the shape of its fruit bodies. The widespread form of growth is the 'calling card' of the plum tinder fungus.
