Mushrooms · Plate VIII

Tinder fungus

Fomes fomentarius

A hard, horse-hoof-shaped bracket attached to the trunk without a stem. On top it has concentric grey and brown bands and a paler edge, where it grows; underneath, a surface of tiny pale brown pores.

It lives mainly on beeches and birches: it enters through wounds in the bark, feeds on the wood and keeps growing for years after the tree has died. Each year it adds a new layer.

Its name says it all: fomes is Latin for “tinder”. For thousands of years it was used to start fires: Ötzi, the Iceman, who lived some 5,300 years ago, carried tinder made from this fungus in his belt pouch.

Just for the pleasure of looking: identifying mushrooms is a job for experts.

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