The tinder fungus has real medicinal properties. To eat or not to eat: nutritional and medicinal properties of polypores. Polypore is capable of removing toxins

The tinder is real ( Latin name Fomes fomentarius). This mushroom from the genus Thomes should not be eaten. Since ancient times, it has been used in everyday life to make hats, as well as highly flammable tinder, due to which it has become widespread and very famous.

Its fruiting body is distinguished by its large size and high density of woody structure. Its shape changes over time from semicircular to hoof-shaped, the radius varies from 2.5 to 20 centimeters, and the height can reach 20 centimeters. The true tinder fungus does not have a leg, so it is attached to the tree bark with the lateral parts of the fruiting body.

The texture of the mushroom is predominantly smooth due to the dense coating of the cap, which is painted in different shades of matte gray. However, on its surface there are depressions and cracks, distinguished by darkening of the main color of the skin.

A cut of the mushroom reveals a mushroom pulp with a dense consistency, velvety to the touch and fruity to the smell. It is characterized by various shades of yellow and brown. Pressing on the spores causes the color to change to darker shades.

The flat white lower surface of the fruiting body has its own name - hymenophore. It consists of annually renewed layers of tubes. The effect of time is reflected in the color change of the hymenophore to yellow.

Places of growth

The main feature of this representative of the mushroom kingdom is its ability to grow throughout all seasons of the year. The fruiting bodies of polypores are found on stumps and old deciduous trees. The epicenters of the spread of the fungus are the territories of the northern hemisphere, so it is well known to European countries. Russia, located on two continents, is no exception.

Properties of the mushroom

The tinder fungus is real inedible mushroom. However, this does not detract from its merits. Thus, the mushroom was popularly nicknamed “blood sponge” because it has the ability to stop bleeding. Consisting of fiber tubes, the tinder absorbs blood well, fulfilling the functional purpose of a bandage. Use of the mushroom in medicinal purposes led to its export outside the country and gave it the title of “king” among other medicinal mushrooms and plants.

One of the first beneficial features The mushroom was discovered by the Greeks. Real tinder had a high price in Ancient Greek policies, because residents believed in its healing properties. For example, the doctor Dioscorides believed that tinder fungus helps restore physical strength in case of severe fatigue. Particularly interesting is the story associated with the name of King Mithridates. The ruler constantly consumed an infusion of this mushroom internally, because he believed that it helped prevent the possibility of poisoning. Such a responsible attitude towards his health did not allow him to once commit suicide with poison. King Mithridates did not even manage to cause disorders of the digestive system thanks to preventive measures of the medicinal properties of the tinder infusion.

Modern medical research allows one to trust the ancient Greek legends, since they confirm the possibility of real polypores removing toxins through the agaric acid they contain. This scientific fact was confirmed through experiments carried out by scientists on rats. The use of crushed tinder fungus by experimental animals led to the removal of harmful substances that had accumulated over the years from their bodies.

In addition, mushroom infusions prepared under the strict guidance of doctors improve the functioning of the liver and lungs. Chinese drugs, which are based on real polypores, are used for excess weight, loose stools and impotence. They have a beneficial effect on skin rejuvenation, strengthening hair and nail plates. Be careful! Such medications are contraindicated in pregnant women or mothers during breastfeeding.

The real polypore benefits not only its medicinal properties. It is also used in handicraft production as a basis for making souvenirs. Beekeepers melt smoker with tinder fungi.

False representative

The true tinder fungus is a distinctive representative among other mushrooms. However, his unusual properties did not become an obstacle to the appearance of a double, called the false tinder fungus (lat. Phellius igniarius). Similar in appearance, they can easily be distinguished from each other by this characteristic: a real tinder fungus is easily detached from the tree, unlike its “twin brother”.

Video: real tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius)

The tinder fungus can be found on old stumps, trees, dead wood, and dead wood. This is the most amazing object of the entire mushroom kingdom. It is attached to trees by a lateral stalk or fruiting body. It can be woody and gristly to the touch, it all depends on the species.

This mushroom is popularly called the “devil’s hoof.”

Variety of types and shapes

The classification of polypores is based on the order of arrangement of the basidia. Based on this, fungi are divided into hymenomycetes and gasteromycetes. There are several tinder families:

• poriaceae,
• koniophoraceae,
• polypore,
• telephore.

Polypore is a perennial mushroom, but annual representatives can also be found. Annual species grow mainly from June to September. At the end of summer they begin to break down, turning into food for insects. Perennial species do not immediately form a fruiting body. This process takes several months, or even years.

The tinder fungus has impressive dimensions - from 20 cm to 1 m. Weight - from 1 kg to 20 kg. The mushroom can have a wide variety of colors: gray, brown, orange, black, red, yellow, etc.

The surface of the mushroom is very similar to bark. It can be smooth, velvety and even hairy.

The species diversity of mushrooms is huge. The most popular among them:

• sheep,
• smoky,
• merging,
• scorched,
• bordered,
• varnished,
• birch,
• chestnut,
• winter,
• oak,
• odorous,
• vase-like,
• scaly,
• multi-colored.

Photos of tinder fungi

Description of the structure of the fruiting body

The tinder fungus has an unusual structure. The body of the mushroom is very resistant to various influences: water, heat, frost.

Thin threads, hyphae, intertwined with each other, form the body of the fungus. The mycelium or mycelium is hidden deep in the tree trunk. Hyphae penetrate the tree bark by secreting enzymes that easily dissolve the cell membranes of woody tissue anywhere. The hyphae range from the thinnest and thread-like to skeletal and thick. According to their shape, fruiting bodies are divided into:

• sessile (only one side attached to the substrate, sometimes having a lateral leg);
• prostrate (look like a plate or cake, tightly adhered to the tree, the color and surface of which often resembles tree bark);
• having a cap and a stem.

May differ within the same genus or family.

The tinder fungus uses wood as a substrate.

Optimal living conditions

Some species of polypores typically live only on deciduous trees, while others live only on coniferous trees. Light, humidity and temperature are of great importance for the growth and development of the fungus. Without light, the mycelium can grow calmly inside the tree, but the fruiting body cannot do without it. Humidity helps the growth of tinder fungi, which like to settle where there is dampness: in cellars, earthen shelters, wells and other rooms.

The tinder fungus feeds on wood. In order for the beneficial substances to fully saturate the mushroom, they must first be dissolved. Enzymes help in this process by converting insoluble compounds into soluble ones. When fungal enzymes act on wood, especially cellulose, rot (red and brown) is formed.

The consequence of the fungus feeding is the appearance of “sweetness” on the tree. In other words, the wood “suffocates”. This kind of rot is caused by the true tinder fungus.

Its wood feeding cycle can be divided into the following stages:

• browning of the ends of the log;
• “understeam” (appearance of white stripes);
• “marble rot” (the wood becomes completely soft).

Mushroom propagation

The tinder fungus reproduces using spores. These are special cells that are located on special formations - basidia. They are located in groups (4 each) on the lower part of the mushroom along the edge of small tubes that are tightly fused together. This tubular surface is called a hymenophore.

In these tubes, the spores mature and spill out. With the help of the wind they are transported from place to place. When they find a favorable place (on a tree), they begin to reproduce.

Tree bark often has mechanical damage: insect passages, sunburn, frost damage. Fungal spores get into these wounds. As they grow, they form mycelium, which branches along the tree bark and destroys it.

Taxonomy:

• Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
• Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
• Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
• Subclass: Incertae sedis (indefinite position)
• Order: Polyporales
• Family: Polyporaceae
• Genus: Fomes (Tinder fungus)
• View: Fomes fomentarius (True polypore)

Synonyms:

• Blood sponge;
• Polyporus fomentarius;
• Boletus fomentarius;
• Ungulina fomentaria;
• Fomes griseus.

True tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius) is a mushroom from the Coriolidae family, belonging to the genus Fomes. Saprophyte, belongs to the class Agaricomycetes, category Polyporous. Widely distributed.

External description

The fruiting bodies of the tinder fungus are perennial; in young mushrooms they have a round shape, and in mature ones they become hoof-shaped. This species of mushroom does not have legs, so the fruiting body is characterized as sessile. The connection to the surface of the tree trunk occurs only through the central, upper part.

The cap of the described species is very large, in mature ones fruiting bodies has a width of up to 40 cm and a height of up to 20 cm. The skin of the fruiting body is wavy, characterized by unevenness, dullness and a darker shade in the area of ​​the recesses. Cracks may sometimes be visible on the surface of the fruiting body. The color of the mushroom cap can vary from light, grayish, to rich gray in ripe mushrooms. Only occasionally can the shade of the cap and fruiting body of a real tinder fungus be light beige.

The pulp of the described mushroom is dense, corky and soft, sometimes it can be woody. When cut it becomes velvety and suede. In color, the flesh of the true tinder fungus is often brownish, rich reddish-brown, and sometimes nutty.

The tubular hymenophore of the fungus contains light, round spores. When you press on it, the color of the element changes to a darker one. The spore powder of this tinder fungus is white in color and contains spores measuring 14-24 * 5-8 microns. They are smooth in structure, oblong in shape, and have no color.

Season and habitat of the mushroom

Edibility

The mushroom is inedible

Similar types and differences from them

The true tinder fungus has no resemblance to other varieties of mushrooms. The characteristic features of this mushroom are the shade of the cap and the attachment features of the fruiting body. Sometimes inexperienced mushroom pickers confuse this tinder fungus with. However, a feature of the described type of mushroom is the possibility of easier separation of the fruiting body from the surface of the tree trunk. This is especially noticeable if the separation is done manually, in the direction from bottom to top.

Other information about the mushroom

The main feature of the true tinder fungus is the presence in its composition of medicinal components that can prevent the development of cancerous tumors in the human body. At its core, this mushroom can be used for effective prevention and treatment of cancer in the early stages.

The history of the use of the fungus called tinder fungus is quite interesting. In ancient times, this mushroom was used to produce tinder (a special material that can be ignited effortlessly, even with a single spark). This component was also found during excavations as part of the equipment of the Ötzi mummy. The internal part of the fruiting body of the described species is often used by traditional healers as an excellent hemostatic agent. Actually, it is thanks to these properties that the mushroom popularly received its name “blood sponge”.

Sometimes the real tinder fungus is used as a component in the handicraft production of souvenirs. Beekeepers use dried tinder fungi to fuel smokers. Several decades ago, this type of fungus was actively used in surgery, but now there is no practice of using real tinder fungus in this area.

The fruiting bodies of polypores can be seen on tree trunks (less often on the soil).

Kinds

There are more than 1.5 thousand species of polypores, here are some of them:

Larch (real)

Found on larches, cedars and fir. It is distinguished by a thick fruiting body up to 30 cm long, yellow or white in color, with a rough surface, rounded edges, grooves and brown areas. At first it is soft, but later becomes hard and crumbly. This mushroom tastes bitter. In the past, such a mushroom served as a raw material for tinder production. It often grows on dead deciduous trees and dead wood. We discussed the larch tinder fungus in detail in another article.

Flat

This mushroom has flat caps up to 50 cm in diameter, which have uneven ridges and a matte brown crust. It is found mainly on birch trees (less often on coniferous trees) - on dead wood and stumps.

Lacquered (reishi)

It is distinguished by a reddish-brown shiny cap, the presence of a stalk and medicinal properties. Another name for this tinder fungus is reishi. Read more about it in another article.

Umbrella

It has flat, light, rounded caps pressed in the center, collected into large fruiting bodies up to 40 cm in diameter and weighing up to 4 kg. This is a very rare tinder fungus, listed in the Red Book.

The umbrella polypore is edible.

Sulfur yellow

The peculiarity of this type of tinder fungus is the yellow-orange color of its fruiting bodies. This mushroom reaches 50 cm in diameter. It grows on weakened or dead trees in gardens, parks and forests.

When young, it is edible and after boiling for 30-45 minutes can be added to salads, pickled or fried.

Winter

It is distinguished by flat-convex yellow-brown caps, hard gray-yellow legs, and elastic flesh. Grows on roots, stumps and trunks of deciduous trees. Fruits from May to December. Edible when young.

Stubble-haired

A special feature of this tinder fungus is the triangular cross-section of the fruiting bodies. The young mushroom is spongy and moist, but later dries out and becomes hard. The diameter of the fruiting body of this tinder fungus is up to 25 cm, height – up to 35 cm.

Chestnut

A mushroom up to 10 cm high with funnel-shaped light caps with wavy edges and hard legs tapering towards the base. Grows on dead wood and stumps in damp places.

Coarse-haired

These tinder fungi have semicircular sessile caps covered with hard gray hairs about 5 mm long, growing vertically in tufts. This species is found on deciduous trees - on trunks, dead wood, branches and stumps. Occasionally grows on wooden buildings and fences.

Volatile

Birch

A mushroom with a smooth whitish surface, spherical fruiting bodies and white flesh, which has a distinct mushroom smell and bitter taste. This tinder fungus grows only on birch trees. At an early age it can be eaten. This tinder fungus contains polyporenic acid, which has anti-inflammatory activity.

Radiant

It is distinguished by annual semicircular flat bodies with a wrinkled surface of a yellow-orange hue (later brown), which grow in rows or tiers on dead and living hornbeams, aspens, lindens, birches and other trees.

Multicolored

A special feature of this tinder fungus is the velvety surface of the fruiting bodies with concentric zones of different colors - from yellow to brown-blue. This mushroom grows in groups on stumps and dead trees (usually deciduous).

Scaly

This mushroom has outstretched light fleshy caps up to 30 cm in diameter, elastic dense flesh, and eccentrically located legs. This tinder fungus grows in parks and forests on weakened and living trees (often on elms).

When young, this mushroom is edible.

Cinnabar red

It is distinguished by hoof-shaped annual fruiting bodies up to 10 cm in diameter with a bumpy red surface and red flesh. Found on rotting and weakened deciduous trees.

Odorous

A special feature of this tinder fungus is the aniseed aroma of its rusty-brown fruiting body. This mushroom often grows on dead wood and stumps of coniferous trees.

Humpback

It is distinguished by the presence of a small hump at the base of the flat fruiting body. Often the top of the mushroom is covered with algae, giving it a green color. It is found mainly on stumps, dead wood and dead wood of hornbeams, beeches, and birches.

Sewing worker

These mushrooms have flat caps with hairs or warts on them. Their color is first gray-yellow, later brown. The flesh of this tinder fungus is rusty-brown. This mushroom grows on stumps and roots that protrude from the ground.

liverwort

A red-brown mushroom with a diameter of 10-30 cm. The pulp of this mushroom is similar to liver or fresh meat. It has a sour taste and fruity aroma. This mushroom most often grows on old oak trees, often in hollows.

When young, such mushrooms can be eaten (they are added to salads or fried).

Most of the polypores are inedible and therefore they are not used as food, except for the winter, sulfur-yellow, umbrella and scaly polypores. Young caps (begin to be collected in May-July) of such mushrooms can be eaten boiled, pickled and salted.

Polypores are varied in appearance, properties and applications; they are used in a wide variety of areas of life, depending on the species.

You can learn more about tinder fungi from the following video.

Another tinder fungus that is often used in folk medicine, - chaga. Read about it in another article.

One of the most unusual mushrooms is a tinder fungus. It is not often called a mushroom, because it is considered a growth of bark on a tree. But this inconspicuous growth can be very useful for humans.

Kinds

Properties and appearance of this interesting plant depend on its type. There are up to hundreds of them, but the most common and interesting for humans are 5 species. These include:

The tinder fungus can most often be found in deciduous forests. It has connections with trees such as birch, rowan, maple, alder, elm and ash. Most often, the appearance of the fungus is facilitated by aging, disease and damage to the tree. The fungus lives both on dead trees and on living ones.

From the moment the birch tree dies, the second stage of development of the birch tinder fungus begins - reproduction. Under the bark of a dying plant, a new fruiting body develops, the thickness of which is only 3 cm, and the length is up to 1-2 m! This neoplasm contains many spores. After the bark peels off, the spores get out and are carried with the wind in search of a new victim.

Most tinder fungi have beneficial properties that are used in medicine. Tinctures, decoctions and teas are made from crushed fruiting bodies, which are used to treat various diseases. Before this type of therapy, you need to consult an appropriate doctor, because it has contraindications. Polypore mushrooms should not be used in the treatment of children under 12 years of age, pregnant or breastfeeding women. If a person can eat tinder fungi, then it is worth identifying the type that will help him in the fight against the disease.

• Birch sponge

The basis of all the beneficial properties of this type is polyporenic acid, which has proven itself in the treatment of inflammation (gastritis, ulcers and other diseases). Birch chaga is an effective choleretic and diuretic. Alcoholic infusions of the mushroom have become the most popular, but teas or decoctions used to treat diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract are no less useful. With constant use of the tincture, you can get rid of tumors, diseases of the nervous system, and skin ailments.

An alcohol tincture can be prepared in this way: wash and dry the mushroom, grind it into powder. Dilute the powder in alcohol in the proportion of 5 g of powder - 150 ml of liquid. Place in a dark and cool place for 2 weeks.

Birch sponge

• Larch

This species is a good sorbent for humans. It removes harmful substances from the body, helps with liver function and promotes weight loss. With the help of this tinder fungus, tuberculosis and pneumonia are treated. It has been proven that it can effectively remove the effects of chemotherapy from the body and slow down the development of tumors. Ground dried mushroom serves as an excellent antibacterial and antiviral agent.

Larch

• Sulfur yellow

It is interesting for its high content of biologically active substances. Used in the fight against thrombosis and inflammatory processes. A tincture with the addition of methanol is used to treat tumors. Remedies based on sulfur-yellow mushroom help overcome breast diseases in women and prostate diseases in men. By eating this tinder fungus, people restore their immunity.

Sulfur yellow

• Reishi

Gained popularity through its use in Chinese medicine. There it is a remedy for nervous ailments, cardiovascular systems and liver diseases. In addition, it lowers blood sugar levels and helps get rid of cataracts. When using this mushroom, you need to remember that when cooked, all its beneficial properties disappear. As a result, reishi is dried, ground and made into tinctures from the powder.

Reishi

• Scaly

Tinctures and ointments are made from the scaly species. It has proven itself well as a treatment for fungus. No less healthy mushroom in getting rid of intoxication. To obtain a healing result, you can not only make tinctures, but also simply eat it.

Scaly

Tinder fungus in cooking

The mushroom is not poisonous, but the poor taste of some species makes them inedible. Among the tinder fungi, the most commonly added to food are the birch, sulfur-yellow and scaly species. The main thing is to collect only young mushrooms, away from highways and other polluted places. These forest gifts can be collected in spring (April and May) and autumn (from September to November). Polypores can be pickled, salted and dried. Most often they are added to soups, sauces and salads.