The real fungus (Fomes fomentarius)
Systematics:
- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Branch: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Incertae sedis (Uncertain)
- Order: Polyporales (Polypore)
- Family: Polyporaceae (Polypore)
- Genus: Fomes (Tinder)
- Species: Fomes fomentarius (Tinder fungus present)
Synonyms:
- Blood sponge;
- Polyporus fomentarius;
- Boletus fomentarius;
- Ungulina fomentaria;
- Fomes griseus.
Real tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius) – a mushroom from the family Coriolidae, belonging to the genus Fomes. Saprofit refers to class of Agaricomycetes, Polyporic category. Wide distributed.
External description
The fruiting bodies of the tinder fungus are perennial, in young mushrooms have a rounded shape, and in the ripened become hoof-shaped. The fungus has no legs of this species, therefore the fruit body characterized as sedentary. Connection to the surface of the trunk tree occurs only through the central, upper parts.
The hat of the described species is very large, in ripe fruit bodies has a width of up to 40 cm and a height of up to 20 cm. The skin of the fruit body wavy, characterized by unevenness, dullness and darker a shade in the area of the recesses. Sometimes on the surface of the fruiting body cracks may be visible. The color of the mushroom cap may vary from light, grayish, to saturated gray in ripe mushrooms. Only occasionally the shade of the hat and fruit body of a real tinder fungus may be light beige.
The pulp of the described fungus is dense, corky and soft, sometimes may be woody. When cut, it becomes velvety, suede. The color of the pulp of the tinder fungus is more often – brownish, richly tan, sometimes – nutty.
The tubular hymenophore of the fungus contains light, rounded spores. When you click on it, the color of the element changes to darker. Spore powder of a real tinder fungus has a white color, contains in its composition spores with dimensions 14-24 * 5-8 microns. in their structure they are smooth, in shape – oblong, colors – do not.
Mushroom season and habitat 
The real tinder belongs to the category of saprophytes. Exactly this mushroom is the main cause of white rot on trunks of deciduous trees. Due to its parasitism thinning and destruction of wood tissue occurs. Mushroom of this species widespread enough in the European continent. You can see it everywhere in many European countries, including Russia. Parasitic real tinder fungus mainly on deciduous trees. His negative plantations of birches, oaks, alder are often exposed, aspen, beech. Often find a real tinder (Fomes fomentarius) You can on dead wood, rotten stumps and dead trees. However he it can also affect very weak, but still living deciduous trees. Living trees are infected with this fungus through breaks on branches, cracks in the trunks and in the cortex.
Edibility
Mushroom inedible
Similar views and differences from them
Similar to other varieties of mushrooms in this tinder is absent. The characteristic features of this fungus is a shade hats and features of fastening the fruiting body. Sometimes inexperienced mushroom pickers confuse this tinder fungus with a false tinder fungus. but a feature of the described species of mushrooms is the possibility of more easy separation of the fruiting body from the surface of the tree trunk. This is especially noticeable if the department to produce manually, in the direction from bottom to top.
Other information about the mushroom
The main feature of the tinder fungus of the present is the presence in its composition of therapeutic components that can prevent development in the human body of cancerous tumors. At its core, this mushroom can be used for effective prevention and treatment oncological diseases in the early stages.
Fomes fomentarius, as already noted, is a parasite, and therefore always causes irreparable harm to agriculture and park landscape. Trees affected by him gradually die, which badly reflects on the beauty of the surrounding nature.
The history of the use of the fungus called tinder fungus real quite interesting. In ancient times, this mushroom was used for tinder production (a special material that can be ignited without effort even with a single spark). This component has also been found during excavations as part of the equipment of the mummy of Ezi. Internal part of the fruiting body of the described species is often used traditional healers as a beautiful hemostatic funds. Actually, it is thanks to these properties that the mushroom in people got their name “blood sponge”.
Sometimes tinder fungus is used as a component in handicraft production of souvenirs. Beekeepers use dried tinder for kindling a smoker. Several decades ago, this type of mushroom was actively used in surgery, but now the practice of using this tinder fungus in this area is absent.
Photo of the fungus Tinder recognition:
2017.11.18 Ilya 
2017.05.24 
2017.04.28 
2019.05.05 Vitalij
06/06/12 Sergey 
2020.02.09 Sergey
