Trutovik useful properties. Mushroom tinder fungus: varieties and useful properties. Medicinal properties of tinder fungus for wound healing

The tinder fungus has a lot of varieties, most of which are beneficial for our body. Experienced mushroom pickers know about all its capabilities, but now we will pay attention to its composition, use in medicine and everyday life, and also tell you how to properly collect, harvest and use this forest dweller.

Botanical description

Trutoviki, or tinder - representatives of a non-systematic group of fungi belonging to the department of basidiomycetes. They grow on wood, but sometimes on the ground.

Their hymenophore is tubular, fruiting bodies are prostrate, sessile or hat-legged, with the appearance of pulp - from fleshy to hard (leathery, cork, woody).

Energy value and calories

100 g of this product contains only about 22 kcal, as well as:

• proteins - 3.09 g;
• fat - 0.34 g;
• carbohydrates - 3.26 g.

Chemical composition

In addition to the high content of proteins and carbohydrates, the tinder fungus contains a lot of fiber, resinous substances, B vitamins, selenium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and manganese.

Medicinal properties

The medicinal properties of the tinder fungus are many:

• bactericidal;
• antiviral;
• restorative;
• expectorant;
• antitumor;
• wound healing;
• rejuvenating;
• diuretic;
• anti-inflammatory.

Collection and procurement rules

Polypore mushrooms can be harvested throughout the year, but the main thing is that they grow on living trees. The mushroom must be carefully separated at its base from the tree. Do not forget to then cut off the crust and growth from it with a knife.

They can also be prepared in the form of tinctures, which are then stored in the refrigerator, or in the form of a crushed powder, stored in a jar or other glass container. Another option is freezing. Then the mushrooms will be able to extend the period of their usefulness up to six months, or even up to a year.

Important!When making an infusion, be sure to stick to the recipe, otherwise you may experience side effects after using it: headache, nausea and vomiting.

Application

These mushrooms can be used both for medical purposes and in everyday life.

In medicine

Mushrooms are used to treat many different diseases:

• ulcer;
• different tumors;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• constipation;
• violations of the liver;
• bladder disease;
• pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis;
• pancreas;
• gout, etc.

In addition, they promote wound healing, and are also part of recipes for weight loss and against insomnia.

At home

In the old days, tinder fungi were used as tinder (wick), kindling a fire with it. Hats and some clothes were made from them, a kind of natural suede was obtained.
Today, these mushrooms are used in beekeeping as fuel for the smoker. They are also used in the manufacture of souvenirs, crafts, pendants.

Did you know?Some modern artists still use felt-tip pens with a homemade core, cut just from a tinder fungus. In such a tool, you can change the shape and size of the writing rod at your discretion. Yes, and replacing it with a new one is also not difficult, just go to the forest. Artists believe that in this case the drawn lines are more juicy and varied.

The role of the fungus in the life of the tree

There are two options here: either cut down the tree, uproot the stump and burn it, or constantly cut the mushrooms, disinfecting the places where they appear.

Although it cannot be said that the appearance of tinder fungi is an unambiguously negative phenomenon. Yes, on the one hand, they destroy wood on a healthy tree, weakening it, on the other hand, they participate in the decomposition of dead wood, turning it into humus.

Varieties of tinder fungus

There are many subspecies of this fungus. Now we will tell you about its main representatives.

larch (real)

Larch, or, as it is also called, “real” is the most useful type of tinder fungus. It is inedible, but medicinal. It is widely used by nutritionists who deal with patients with impaired metabolism. They are also used to treat constipation and to stop bleeding.

In structure, these mushrooms are woody. Their width is from 5 to 40 cm, thickness is 5–20 cm. They are mounted sideways on trees.

This is an inedible fungus that mainly settles on dead wood (mainly birch stumps). It is also called the artist's mushroom, because when pressed with a knife, a dark imprint is left on which you can draw.

This species is very large, reaching 40–50 cm in diameter. The surface of its cap is matte, and in appearance it seems dry, its color varies from rusty brown to gray brown.

Lacquered (reishi)

There are no toxic substances in this subspecies. Useful cosmetics are made on its basis (for example, for skin and nails), and are also used to rejuvenate the whole body and cleanse the liver, which leads to skin cleansing from various rashes.

The color of his hat ranges from reddish to brown-violet, and sometimes even black with a yellowish tint. It has a smooth surface, reminiscent of a varnish coating.

The fungus has diuretic, antitumor, antibacterial and antiviral properties. It also increases the activity of hair growth. Young specimens are quite edible, they are used fresh, salted, pickled, dried.

Outwardly, it resembles something. It often grows at the base of trunks. Its flesh is white, characterized by an attractive aroma of nuts and mushrooms.

In cooking, this subspecies is most often used. Its regular use lowers the level of cholesterol and sugar in the blood, normalizes the state of the cardiovascular system. Has antiviral and anti-inflammatory action. Vegetarians often replace poultry with them.

Important!In cooking, you can use only young specimens growing on coniferous trees, and then only in a thermally processed form!

They are usually located low above the ground on tree trunks or stumps. Their flesh is soft and juicy, quite brittle, white, sour in taste.

The mushroom is inedible. Although some sources say that it can still be eaten, but only the cap and only the young mushroom. True, at the same time it is absolutely tasteless, so it is difficult to say what is better to cook from it.

His hat is gray-brown, rounded, with a depressed center and a tucked edge. Leg - velvety, brownish. The pulp is white, hard.

Also an inedible subspecies. It is considered absolutely useless. The hat can be from 5 to 25 cm in diameter. Its shape is irregular, funnel-shaped with wavy edges. In young specimens they are gray-brown, in mature specimens they are rich brown, almost black.

It contains substances with antibiotic properties and antitumor activity. With its help, they treat pulmonary diseases, relieve fever, and help muscle tissue recover. It is not used in cooking.

Its flesh is thin, whitish, with a bitter taste. Young mushrooms may have a slight aniseed odor. The tubules are short - up to 6 mm long.

Also inedible. Grows on thin fallen branches. Fruits in summer-autumn. The fruit bodies of this subspecies are small. The diameter of the hat is no more than 5 cm. It is fleshy with thin edges, yellow-brown or ocher in color. The leg is long, thin, dark brown or black.

In terms of its medicinal properties, it is similar to the real tinder fungus. It grows on birches, which is why it has such a name. Good as an antispasmodic. Outwardly, it resembles a large brownish kidney. The brown rot it produces "kills" the tree very quickly.

Did you know? This subspecies is used to treat the last stage of cancer, when medications do not work. Birch tinder can stop the growth of metastases and relieve pain. In such cases, 1 tablespoon of mushroom powder is poured into 400 ml of boiling water and boiled for 20 minutes, then filtered and taken 1 tablespoon three times a day.

The mushroom is inedible. Its fruiting body is in the form of lateral caps, often numerous, yellowish in color. Radiant tinder fungi are formed mainly on the trunks of dead alder, as an exception - on birch.

For medicinal purposes, it is used very widely: for the regulation of the functioning of the liver and the rehabilitation of cancer patients, the fungus has hormone-stimulating, immunostimulating and vasodilating effects. It is used in the treatment of alcoholism, and also against the herpes virus.

Hats of this subspecies are usually up to 10 cm in diameter. The top is divided into zones of different colors: white, gray, brown are replaced by blue and almost black.

Another name is motley. Basically, the mushroom is added to ointments against inflammation in the joints, osteochondrosis, arthrosis, varicose veins. It is a distant relative of the oyster mushroom. It differs from it only in that on the underside of the hat it does not have plates, but tubes.

This mushroom is inedible. It can be used for the production of pulp from various wastes, since it contains lactose, which destroys lignin. According to their structure, these are cork mushrooms with a diameter of 3 to 12 cm. Young specimens of a bright cinnabar-red color, but mature ones fade and become almost ocher in color.

This subspecies is inedible. Its second name is fragrant. Its feature is an anise smell. The fruiting body is rusty brown. Often this mushroom grows on deadwood and stumps of coniferous trees.

It is not used in cooking, but in medicine - yes. It has anti-inflammatory, antitumor and antiviral properties.

His hats are flat (sometimes uneven), with a velvety surface, which can become bare with age. Fruiting bodies are sometimes covered with algae, which is why they get a green tint. The pulp looks like a cork - more often white, less often - yellowish.

It contains pigments used in the industry for dyeing. The sewing machine has absolutely no smell and taste. Its spores are white, with a slight olive-yellow tinge or the color of rust.

This subspecies settles on the roots of trees, and sometimes goes shallow into the ground. It looks like a typical so-called soil fungus.

Liverwort

Also known as "mother-in-law's tongue". It is saturated with vitamin C, in 100 g of its pulp - the daily rate of ascorbic acid. It contains carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, various vitamins, phosphorus. The young "mother-in-law's tongue" with non-lignified pulp is edible.

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Unique. All mushrooms are like mushrooms, but this one lives on a tree. Yes, not on any, but on my favorite cherry. Actually, it’s my own fault, I didn’t notice, I didn’t take action in a timely manner. It is said that the spores of these fungi are carried by the wind. And they happily breed on the bark of a fruit tree in places of various mechanical damage. The tinder fungus, which prefers stone fruit trees such as plum, cherry, cherry, apricot, bird cherry, is called plum.

plum fungus

The outgrowths of the tinder fungus gradually spread through the tree, destroying it. The fruits of the tinder fungus (mushrooms) themselves appear after a few years. Usually, tinder fungi settle on trunks and large skeletal branches injured by frost cracks, sunburn, and saw cuts.

Mushroom tinder fungus - methods of struggle

The cardinal method of dealing with tinder fungus is the destruction of affected fruit trees, as they can become a source of infection for healthy fruit trees. If the tree is young and you are sorry to destroy it, then you can try to fight for its life. Affected branches should be cut down to healthy wood, washed with copper sulfate and covered with garden pitch. The fruit body of the tinder fungus must be removed, and the rotten wood should be cleaned with a knife or chisel. If there are already hollows on the tree, they are sealed. First, the hollow is disinfected with bitumen or tar, and then covered with cement. This simple procedure prevents or greatly slows down the decay of wood and increases the strength of the trunk.

Mushroom tinder fungus - prevention

It is not difficult to prevent infection of trees if you carefully approach the care of tree boles. Damage to the bark must be treated in a timely manner with copper sulphate and covered with garden pitch. As for pruning, do it annually, removing all unnecessary at a young age, without leading to cutting large skeletal branches.

There is something to think about. The tree is dying! (not the tinder fungus on the left) 🙂

For prevention purposes, it is necessary to spray the trees when there are no leaves on them (in autumn, early spring) with a 5% solution of ferrous sulfate, and when there is foliage, with Bordeaux liquid. In the fight against tinder fungi, the use of fertilizers is of considerable importance, and the protection of trees from mechanical damage, the timely treatment of wounds on wood through which infection can penetrate. The resulting wounds should be covered with carbolineum or a 3% solution of copper sulphate.

What should I do?

Haven't decided yet. Painfully interesting phenomenon in my garden. This was not the case before. And in general, I have something of a Michurinist in me. I would like to experiment, maybe even at the cost of the life of my cherry and even at the cost of my own. Who knows what to expect from the spores of this little-studied fungus.

There was a rumor that this mushroom has unique healing properties.

Mushroom tinder fungus - healing properties

More than half of the tinder fungus consists of resinous substances that heal the liver, lung diseases and tuberculosis. First, as always. the Japanese became interested in the mushroom. The experience of Japanese scientists has shown that the tinder fungus causes the liver to secrete an enzyme that breaks down fats, so it can be used for weight loss. Weight loss is a worldwide problem. Studies have shown that polypores (crushed and dried) cleanse the body and restore its vitality. Stimulates the liver by increasing the secretion of fat-burning enzymes. Thus, they contribute to weight loss. Extracts from this fungus help in the fight against cancer, are effective in bronchopulmonary diseases.

Research has just begun. Tinder mushrooms have a lot of varieties. Whether the properties, specifically of my tinder fungus, are useful, I have to figure it out. I won't destroy it just yet. Maybe someday I'll be awarded the Nobel Prize in Biology. Posthumously 🙂

Collection of forest tinder fungi

You can collect tinder fungus all year round, but the best time is spring. it is possible at a temperature not higher than + 5 ° C, otherwise the healing properties of mushrooms will be lost.

They should be stored in a dry place in a paper container at room temperature. It has been observed that tinder fungi do not tolerate environmentally polluted areas. In such cases, they stop breeding, and the old tinder fungi die. By the presence of these fungi, you can determine how clean the forest is.

Recipe for weight loss from larch tinder

Pour 20 g of dry larch tinder with half a liter of vodka. Then we insist for a week in a dark and cool place (you can also in the refrigerator). Take before dinner 1 tbsp. spoon.

Birch mushroom (chaga)

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Trupes represent a non-systematic and little-studied group of fungi, which belongs to the department of basidiomycetes. About 1.5 thousand species are known. There are tinder fungi poisonous and edible, woody and cartilaginous. The mushroom body of all polypores is extremely resistant to any weather conditions - cold, heat, moisture.

Polypores are attached to the body of the tree with the entire fruiting body or only the leg, depending on the species. For the original form, the mushroom is popularly called the "devil's hoof".

The mushroom body is formed by thin threads - hyphae, intertwined with each other. The mushroom picker is immersed deep into the woody body. To penetrate the bark, hyphae secrete enzymes that dissolve the cell walls of wood. The hyphae, at first thin and filiform, become skeletal.

Depending on the shape of the fruiting body, tinder are divided into:

1. Sedentary. They are attached to the wood with one side. May have side legs.
2. Outstretched. They look like a thin cake, tightly adhered to the trunk. The color and structure resemble tree bark.
3. With hat and leg.

The weight of the mushroom body is from 1 to 20 kg. Size - from 20 cm to 200 cm in diameter. They can be gray, red, black, orange, yellow - there are many shades.

When and where does it grow?

The habitat depends on the type of tinder. So sulfur-yellow (conditionally edible) tinder fungus prefers places with a mild climate. But the real tinder fungus is widespread throughout Russia and Europe. He likes to grow on birches and pines, he can also be found on alder, oak, beech, and other trees.

On the one hand, saprophyte negatively affects the environment. Causing white rot of wood tissue, it makes it brittle. It usually infects dead wood, since the main route of infection of a tree with polypore fungi is:

• broken branches;
• cracks and other damage in the bark.

Tinder fungi for pharmaceutical and food purposes are recommended to be collected:

• during spring sap flow;
• in autumn - the mushroom, preparing for winter, stocks up with useful substances.

Do not take tinder fungi:

• growing on dry wood;
• growing near the ground.

Mushrooms located as high as possible are preferable. Mushrooms are cut with a well-sharpened knife or ax. If the mushroom body crumbles, it is not suitable for collection.

Varieties

For tinder, in mushroom science, a special classification is provided. They are divided into:

• hymenomycetes - their mycelium is located in the substrate, for example, in wood or soil;
• Gasteromycetes - their fruiting bodies are completely closed.
• Among the tinder, several families are distinguished:
• porium;
• polyporous;
• telephoric;
• coniophoric.

Tinder fungi are predominantly perennials, but there are also annual representatives. They grow throughout the summer - from June to September. Annuals at the end of summer are gradually destroyed and become food for insects.

The body of a perennial grows for months, or even years. By the annual rings, you can find out how many months or years the tinder fungus. The fungus is species diverse. Consider the most famous and common varieties of tinder fungi.

Edible polypores

Among the polypores, there are edible and inedible species. The latter are the vast majority. There are no poisonous varieties among the tinder fungi. You won’t get poisoned with the pulp of tinder fungi, it’s just that many members of the group have it extremely tough. And the taste of these mushrooms is not impressive.

Going into the forest, carefully study the appearance of edible polypore mushrooms. Among them there are several rather tasty specimens - they are used in cooking.

Sulfur yellow tinder fungus

Refers to conditionally edible, and the toxins contained in it can cause poisoning. They use “young growth” for food - their flesh is much more tender than that of the old-timers.

Only young sulfur-yellow tinder fungi growing on deciduous trees are suitable for food. There should be no dark spots on their hats.

Cut mushroom bodies can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. They can also be frozen for a whole year. In order for the product not to spoil, a temperature of at least minus 18 ° C is needed.

On the video you can see how sulfur-yellow tinder fungus with onions and dill is fried in forest conditions. The recipe is clear and step by step. The author of the video also offers other ways to cook tinder fungus:

Scaly

Prefers to grow on deciduous trees, especially loves elms. Its yellowish-gray fruiting body is covered with brownish speckled scales. Scaly tinder fungi grow singly. They have thick black legs. At a young age, they are suitable for food - they are pickled, salted, dried, added to sauces and soups. Traditional medicine uses them to produce drugs that stimulate the gallbladder.

It can be found on oak trees. It is shaped like a tongue. The body is fleshy, as if saturated with a red liquid. Growing time - from July to frost. In the section - a marble pattern. Used at a young age - for salting.

It looks like a large lace bouquet. Hat color is brown. There is a multi-colored border. Stripes can be of different colors - black, beige, lemon, orange. Umbrella polypores are popular in China. Here it is often served as a main dish.

Winter

It grows on stumps, on trunks near the ground. Prefers alder, mountain ash, willow. Growth begins in the spring. Grows until frost. The shape of the hat is convex. Color - from yellowish to grayish. The white flesh is good for eating. Usually used for drying.

More than others it looks like a mushroom in the classical view. Its fleshy round cap has folded edges. The leg is short and thick. Used in folk medicine and pharmacology. Young fruits are used for the preparation of powders, extracts, infusions - water and alcohol. When young, it is used for food. Sheep tinder fungus can be pickled, dried, salted.

Inedible tinder fungi

Inedible tinder fungi are not deadly, but can cause unpleasant symptoms:

• allergic reaction;
• intoxication of the body with the corresponding symptoms - vomiting, dizziness, nausea.

Many tinder fungi, including inedible ones, are actively used in medicine - they are used to prepare medicinal products. Any use of mushrooms should be preceded by a consultation with a therapist.

Birch

Likes to grow on dead birch trunks. Its body is convex, gray-white in color. It contains many amino acids and trace elements. This was appreciated by microorganisms and insects, generously laying larvae in the mushroom. Pharmacology uses mushroom polymers isolated from this fungus to produce a dietary supplement for diabetics.

The video talks about birch tinder fungus, its various uses (medicine) and other useful properties. The blogger shows from his own experience how to use it correctly:

bevelled

It is also called. Grows on birch, alder, mountain ash. The body is hard, woody. The shape is irregular, the surface is rough. Color - dark brown or black. On the cut - white streaks. Chaga is used in medicine - for decoctions and infusions.

Prefers stumps and semi-dry trees. The hat is large and coarse, looking like a sponge. At a young age, it has a yellowish or grayish color, as it grows, it becomes brown with a greenish tint. The taste of the pulp is unpleasant - bitter, gives off anise.

humpbacked

The hat has the shape of a semicircle. Color is greenish. The pulp is dense - white or yellow. The surface of the cap is velvety. The mushroom strengthens blood vessels. It is part of the drugs that treat sarcoma, throat cancer, leukemia. Recent studies have shown that the humpback tinder fungus has a detrimental effect on the AIDS virus.

larch (real)

Grows on larch, fir, cedar. It has a thick fruiting body. Length - 30 cm. Color - white or yellow. The surface is rough. There are furrows and brown spots. Young - soft, later - hard, crumbling. The taste is bitter.

Lacquered (reishi)

A unique mushroom. It is actively used for the treatment of oncology and the cardiovascular system. Demanded in folk medicine.

Why are tinder fungi dangerous to trees?

Killer mushrooms perform an important mission in the forest - they free up space for new trees. Peculiar orderlies of the forest. But in orchards grown by man, polypore fungi must be fought mercilessly.

How to deal with tinder fungi?

What affects the growth of tinder fungus?

Trupes live on both dead and living trees. Ideal growing conditions for tinder fungus:

1. A certain type of tree - depends on the variety of tinder fungus. Some like coniferous trees, others like deciduous ones.
2. The fruiting body needs light.
3. High humidity promotes growth. It is not in vain that the trunks are looking for wet places - cellars, earthen shelters, wells.

The value and benefits of the mushroom

The chemical composition of many polypores is poorly understood. In the composition of these mushrooms, scientists have discovered antitumor substances, so now their composition is being actively studied. In the tinder bodies, one can find "deposits" of potassium, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, lead, cadmium, germanium. The collection of tinder fungi intended for medicinal or food (if the species is edible) purposes is not recommended near roads and near industrial zones.

The people call the mushroom forest chicken - for its unusual shape and nutritional value. 100 g of the fruiting body contains 22 kcal. 100 g of mushroom contains:

• protein - 3.09 g;
• fats - 0.34 g;
• carbohydrates - 3.26 g;
• water - 92.45 g.

• cellulose;
• resinous substances;
• B vitamins;
• minerals;
• lipids;
• amino acids.

Application in medicine

Trutoviki are valued primarily as a remedy. Mushrooms are used for external and internal use. They are prepared from:

• alcohol tinctures;
• decoctions;
• dry powders - for dissolving in water.

Polypores promote the breakdown of fats, remove radionuclides, carcinogens and poisons from the body, restore the digestive system, treat constipation, and kill bacteria that cause gastritis.

Each tinder fungus has certain properties, therefore, specific types of tinder fungi are used to treat certain diseases.

cultivation

All tinder spores reproduce - they are located on the basidia. Groups of spores, maturing in tubules, tightly fused together, spill out. They are blown away by the wind to new habitats. Once on fertile soil - old or damaged wood, they begin to reproduce. A mycelium is formed, which, branching along the tree bark, destroys it.

Growing on a substrate

Polypores are easy to cultivate. Grow them in the substrate. For its preparation you need:

• sawdust;
• shavings;
• bark of small branches.

Stumps and wooden beams can be used as a substrate. Having made holes with a drill, mycelium is laid in them.

Mycelium laying order:

1. The mixture is poured with boiling water.
2. When the temperature of the substrate drops to room temperature, it is squeezed out and mixed with mycelium.
3. Arranged in plastic bags.
4. Having made cuts in the bags, they are placed in a room where the humidity is 80%. Lighting - natural, temperature - 20°C.
5. Harvest will be ready after 30-40 days.

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Mycelium of tinder fungus

The mycelium of tinder fungi develops inside the substrate, in the tree species, while the fruiting bodies always form on the surface, which allows the spores to spread with air currents. The reproduction of polypore fungi is carried out to a greater extent by basidiospores, which are formed in the hymenial layer on the fruiting bodies. Once on a suitable substrate, the basidiospores germinate and form a primary mycelium consisting of haploid mononuclear hyphae. After some, usually laconic, period of growth and development, the two primary mycelium join to form a secondary two-core mycelium, which develops in the tree species, causing its destruction, and on which fruiting bodies are later formed.

The vegetative mycelium of tinder fungi ensures their distribution in the substrate and nutrition. The hyphae of tinder fungi are thin (2–5 µm across), dull or occasionally brownish, always with transverse septa.

The fruiting body of the tinder fungus

The fruiting bodies of tinder fungi, unlike cap mushrooms, are long-term. Their anatomical structure is quite easy - they consist entirely of hyphae, of which there are three main types: generative, skeletal And binding.

According to the shape, the fruiting bodies of polypore fungi can be divided into the following main categories: prostrate, sedentary And differentiated on a hat and a leg. But there are various transitions between them, and within the boundaries of the first family and even the genus, fruiting bodies of various shapes can be observed.

Differences in fruiting bodies

prostrate the fruiting bodies of tinder fungi have the form of a film or plate, to a greater or lesser extent adherent to the substrate and repeating the features of its surface. The edge of such a fruiting body can be tightly adherent and fading away or raised in the form of a thick roller. From time to time, its fusion with the substrate is loose, and when it dries, the edge bends and wraps.

sedentary fruiting bodies are hoof-shaped or cantilever, sometimes tongue-shaped, and are attached with a wide base or side. In some tinder fungi, the narrowed base of the fruit-bearing bodies attached to the side stretches into the lateral leg. For example, Schweinitz's Trutovik (Phaeolus Schweinitzii) at the base of the trunks and on the roots of trees forms forms with a rudimentary and even conspicuous leg, while on a vertical substrate it is able to create sessile fruiting bodies.

Sizes of fruiting bodies

As for the size, in some tinder fungi from the genus Tyromyces (Tyromyces), the fruiting bodies are only 0.5-1 cm in diameter, and, for example, in the real Tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius) and the Flat fungus (Ganoderma applanatum), they are able to reach diameter up to 1 m and have a mass of up to 10 kg.

Prostrate fruiting bodies from time to time stretch along the substrate (dead trunk or log) by 1-1.5 m. But these are the last limits, and usually the diameter of the fruiting bodies of tinder fungi is 5-25 cm. Their sizes also depend on the weather and the position and condition substrate.

Tissue density and surface layer of fruiting bodies

The fruiting bodies of tinder fungi can be membranous, waxy, fleshy, leathery, cork, woody, spongy or fibrous mixtures, with all the transitions between these categories. In some cases, they have a two-layer tissue, while the upper layer of the cap usually consists of loose, spongy tissue, and the lower one, adjacent to the tubules of the hymenophore, is of denser and smaller tissue.

The surface of the fruiting bodies may be covered with a dense, sometimes shiny or matte crust or narrow, parchment-like skin, or completely devoid of a cuticle. But such a "bare" surface can be wrinkled, concentrically-striated (which is associated with uneven growth of the fruiting body), velvety, felt, hairy or coarsely bristly. The cap integument may change with age.

Coloring of fruiting bodies

The color of the fruiting bodies of tinder fungi is very diverse, while the color of the tissue, conspicuous in the cross section, often differs from the color of the upper and lower surfaces. Some tinder fungi are characterized by a catchy cinnabar-red, orange, yellowish color of the fabric, but in most cases it is snow-white, yellow, cream or pinkish. The color of the surface can be light (white, gray, pale cream, woody yellow), black (brown, dark) or different brightest colors.

Often the surface of the fruiting body is colored with concentric alternating dark and light zones, while you can track different colors of brown, coffee, grayish, yellowish, orange. When dried, the colorful coloring often fades, turns white, the fruiting body becomes dirty, covered with indefinite brown or yellowish spots, or even completely dark.

Hymenophore tinder fungus

The hymenophore of the tinder fungus is tubular in shape in most cases, i.e. consists of more or less long tubules, tightly fused laterally. By the number of their growing layers once a year, it is possible to find the age of the fruiting body on the section - however, from time to time, when suitable and unfavorable criteria change, a couple of layers of tubules can form within one summer.

The color of the hymenophore is similar to the color of the fruiting bodies - at first it is white or light-colored. But the delicate colors of pink, yellow, lilac flowers, when dried, often change to dirty gray or black.

Where do tinder grow

In the forests on the terrain of the European part of our country, there are several hundred different species and varieties of tinder fungi. Their distribution is determined by a number of reasons, the most important of which is the substrate, i.e. the presence of the corresponding wood in a certain state. Usually tinder fungi show selectivity, narrow (or very wide) specialization is rare in them. For example, false aspen tinder (Phellinus tremulae) grows only on aspen. In general, false tinder fungus (Pigmarius) is found on many hardwoods, but each of them develops a different form. Root fungus (Inonotus obliquus), the sterile form of which is widely known under the name Chaga birch, grows to a greater extent on birch; the tinder fungus Inonotus rheades is common on aspen. Some types of tinder fungi are able to develop only on living trees, which is explained by their need for vitamins produced during the life of the tree.

How does tree infection occur?

Infection of trees with tinder fungi occurs through frost cracks, burns, and mechanical damage. Therefore, you can’t break branches, throw knives, hatchets into tree trunks and mark the road by making bark cuts or chopping off branches.

The mycelium of the fungus grows in the tissues of the tree and causes rotten wood. A couple of years after infection of the tree, fruiting bodies begin to form. The first of them usually appears at the site of the initial infection - on the tree this place is easy to find by the older, darker fruiting body of the fungus.

A tree that has rotted from the inside can lean. Then a new hymenophore layer of the fungus appears, taking into account this slope, strictly parallel to the earth's surface. If the tree trunk falls off, then the upcoming growth of the fungus will end, and it will become overgrown with a layer of barren tissue. The new fruiting body is placed in this case perpendicular to the old one. This is how, by the location of the fruiting body, it can be established whether it was formed on a standing tree or already on a rotted and fallen tree.

On the trunks of coniferous and deciduous trees, fruiting bodies of the tinder fungus are often found, painted in a yellowish-orange or reddish-ocher color, darkening to black-brown over time. And since a new hymenophore growing once a year is usually brightly colored on top, an orange-red border appears along the edge of the fungus. These are Bordered tinder fungi (Fomitopsis pinicola). This beautiful mushroom is quite a terrible pest. Although in most cases it is found on deadwood, windfall and windfall of coniferous and deciduous species, it can also infect living trees, especially weakened ones, through mechanical damage. The mycelium of this fungus is able to persist for a long time in a dried tree trunk and again resurrect and destroy the tree species, falling into conditions of high humidity in a forest warehouse or even in utility and residential buildings.

Hollows in old oaks, willows, chestnuts and lindens are the result of the activity of the sulfur-yellow polypore (Laetiporus sulphureus). This species got its name from the orange or sulphur-yellow color of flat or lobed fruiting bodies, usually appearing in the middle of summer. Unlike other tinder fungi, the fruiting bodies of this fungus are one-year-old. Their young tissue is soft, juicy, with a pleasant mushroom smell. The total mass of fruiting bodies grown on one ancient tree can reach 10 or more kg.

Tree species affected by Sulfur Yellow Polypore is very much reduced in volume and breaks up into prismatic pieces. The cohesive properties of wood are reduced so that it is simply rubbed into powder with your fingers. Infection with tinder fungus very often leads to dry tops, and then to complete drying of the trees. Strong gusts of wind complete the destructive work begun by the mushroom.

Sulfur yellow polypore can also infect trees growing in gardens and parks: sweet cherry, walnut, pear, cherry, edible chestnut, white locust, poplar, beech, birch, ash, honey locust, eucalyptus.

The young flesh of this mushroom is edible, although somewhat harsh. It can be stewed and fried like ordinary edible mushrooms. The fruiting bodies of the Sulfur-yellow tinder fungus are readily inhabited by various insects, which completely destroy them by the end of summer. But they are no longer necessary, since they have fulfilled their purpose and spread an unlimited number of spores, and those, in turn, having fallen on the warped parts of the trees, continued their destructive work.

Tinder mushrooms are well-known mushrooms that cause distrust among many mushroom pickers. In fact, there are edible, completely safe species that can be cooked like regular mushrooms. And tinder fungi are used for medicinal purposes, so neglecting them is at least unreasonable.

Trutoviki - well-known mushrooms that cause distrust among many mushroom pickers

Trutovik is a fungus that belongs to the group from the Basidiomycetes department. This group itself is non-systematic - i.e. it combines different species that are similar in type of nutrition and lifestyle features, but at the same time they differ greatly in appearance, structure and reproduction characteristics. The popular name is chaga mushroom. This is the name of a keratinized, hardened outgrowth, often found on birches and other deciduous trees.

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Trutovik is a real record holder in the kingdom of Mushrooms. Some representatives grow up to 1.6 meters in diameter, and weigh 5-6 kilograms.

Edible tinder fungus or not

This question can be answered unequivocally as follows: there are edible types of fungus, there are inedible ones, and the latter are the majority. At the same time, poisonous representatives cannot be distinguished among them - in fact, the pulp of the fungus is safe for humans, but in many species it is quite tough and is much inferior in taste to other mushrooms.

Before heading into the forest, you should take a good look at the photos of edible species that quite tasty in different recipes (for more details - in the appropriate section):

1. The fungus is sulfur yellow.
2. Liverwort (common liverwort).
3. Trutovik scaly (or motley).
4. Trutovik umbrella.

NOTE

Since most tinder fungi are inedible or have a peculiar taste, you should not take those mushrooms that you are not sure about. And one more important rule - you should not take mushrooms near roads and enterprises: they accumulate heavy metals and other harmful substances.

What and how does the fungus tinder fungus eat

Different types of these fungi settle on tree trunks and in a few years penetrate into the mycelium processes. Thus, the tinder fungus literally sucks out water and nutrients from wood - it feeds on substances that are synthesized in a birch, aspen or other tree. As a result, it begins to die and rots after a few years.

Description of the fruiting body of the tinder fungus

The fruiting bodies of different types of tinder fungi differ greatly in color. Many of them have a characteristic feature - as they grow, they become rigid and turn into completely hardened formations, similar to hoof-shaped outgrowths. The tinder fungus affects different types of trees - birch, aspen, alder, poplar, willow. However on coniferous plants is much less common- obviously, the resin of these trees inhibits the development of mycelium.

At present, the chemical composition of the fungus is not fully understood. However, it is well known that it contains quite a lot of useful substances for humans:

• polysaccharides that inhibit the growth of cancer cells and strengthen the immune system;
• saponins and polyphenols necessary for normal metabolism;
• tannins;
• sexviterpenes.

Because of this, it is used as a treatment for:

Some recipes of traditional medicine are discussed in the appropriate section.

What is dangerous tinder fungus for trees

For trees, the tinder fungus is harmful because it literally sucks water and organic matter out of the wood. The process has been going on for many years, so the effect is not immediately noticeable. As a result, the plant dries out and becomes brittle, as a result of which, after a small hurricane, it breaks and falls to the ground along with the tinder fungus, which continues to feed on it.

However, even such seemingly harmful activities bring benefits. By killing old trees, tinder fungi make room in the forest for new ones, and thus, in a sense, they can be considered forest orderlies. Useful mushroom and its chemical composition- many of its species are used in folk medicine for the treatment of various diseases (for more details, see the corresponding section).

How to cook tinder fungus (video)

The harm of tinder fungus to the human body

The tinder fungus does not pose a particular threat to human health, however, inedible species can be digested very hard and cause bloating, a feeling of heaviness, and even vomiting. Poisoning can be provoked only by those fruiting bodies that grow near roads and industrial production.

However, it is not recommended to use mushrooms for food for those people who suffer from chronic diseases of the stomach and intestines, pregnant and lactating women. Also, you should not collect old representatives of edible species - they greatly lose their taste and become too tough with time, which is why most mushroom pickers dislike them.

Common types of tinder fungus

Currently, several dozen species of these fungi have been described. They are quite widespread, because in most cases they are unpretentious to living conditions - wherever a sufficient number of deciduous trees grow, a tinder fungus will inevitably settle. These mushrooms are found in Russia from the European part to Siberia and the Far East, throughout Europe and the USA. They prefer a temperate climate, so they are not widely distributed in tropical latitudes.

Below are some of the species that are most commonly found in our country. First comes the edible varieties.

Gallery: tinder fungus (43 photos)

Polypore sulfur yellow

This species has a beautiful bright yellow color. It always grows in groups and is found in our country only in the European part. Most of all he likes to settle on oaks, cherries, poplars, mountain ash and beeches. A characteristic feature - the family of mushrooms resembles mounting foam frozen on the bark of a tree.

You can take mushrooms at once with a whole nest, and too large, it is better not to use old representatives. And one more important collection rule - if sulfur-yellow tinder fungi from deciduous trees are absolutely safe, then it is better not to collect them from coniferous trees - there is a slight chance of mild poisoning.

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In Germany and the USA, this species is considered a real delicacy: it is called "wild chicken" for its similarity in taste to fried chicken. And in Israel there is a farm that specifically grows this particular mushroom.

Common liverwort

The hat resembles a liver in color, which is why the mushroom got its name. He also prefers the climate of the European territory of Russia, especially often settling under oaks or chestnuts.

Only young liverworts are eaten. It has a pleasant taste, with a slight sourness. Most often it is fried or stewed with onions and potatoes, like other mushrooms.

This species has a soft and rather thick hat. Unlike many other tinder fungus, it even has a leg, so it looks like an ordinary mushroom. Grows in the middle zone of our country. It is quite common in birch forests and grows even in the most unfavorable seasons due to its unpretentiousness.

However, mushroom pickers rarely take it as the flesh is quite tough. Most often it is consumed after a long boil.

Polypore umbrella

It is rare in our country, but in neighboring China it is a very popular mushroom. It has small fruiting bodies, which, however, always grow in large families. It got its name from the hat that resembles an umbrella.

Mostly prefers mild climate and oak, beech, hornbeam forests. Along with the hat, it has a leg that resembles a folded tube. In Chinese cuisine, it is used both fried and boiled.

Trutovik false

Unlike the real one, it is very tenaciously attached to the tree trunk. It has gray, beige and brown (sometimes rusty) shades of the fruiting body. This mushroom has no legs at all., and the hat is quite large - with age it reaches 25 cm in diameter.

Polypore lacquered

This mushroom has a very beautiful fruiting body, reminiscent of strongly brewed tea in color. Its surface is glossy and gleams in the sun, which gives the species its name. It is best known in China, Korea and Japan, where it has even been nicknamed the "mushroom of immortality" because extracts of this species are used in local folk medicine.

Tinder fungus multicolored

Methods for preparing edible tinder fungus

You can cook tinder mushrooms like ordinary mushrooms. Here are some simple recipes.

Soup from scaly tinder fungus

This species can be used to make soup with dumplings. 300 g of finely chopped hats are boiled, brought to a boil and on low heat for half an hour. Then they are taken out and scrolled in a meat grinder, and dumplings, potatoes, herbs and spices are boiled in the broth - to taste. Chopped mushrooms are again introduced into the soup and brought to a boil, after which they are boiled over low heat for another quarter of an hour.

Sulfur yellow tinder salad

200 g of the mushroom is taken, boiled in salt water for an hour, cooled and cut. Sour cream, onion, vinegar or lemon are added to the salad, as well as salt and herbs to taste. You can increase the nutritional value of potatoes.

Fried liverwort

And this type of mushroom can be fried with onions and potatoes. But first it must be boiled for half an hour on low heat in salted water. Salt, herbs and spices are added to taste.

Mushroom tinder fungus in homeopathy and traditional medicine

Tinder fungi are used for medical purposes internally and externally.

1. To prepare an alcohol tincture, a tablespoon of chopped dry mushroom is taken, poured with a half-liter bottle of vodka and diluted with 2 glasses of cold water. Infused very quickly - in 3-4 days.
2. For a decoction, the same amount of mushroom is boiled in 2 glasses of water for half an hour, cooled and filtered. This decoction is used both internally and externally.

NOTE

Since the composition of many species of these mushrooms is not fully understood, a doctor's consultation before starting treatment is mandatory.

Useful properties of tinder fungus (video)

How to prevent infection of trees with tinder fungus

If in nature a tinder fungus is a forest orderly, then not a single gardener wants to see such a “helper” on his trees. To protect garden plants from an uninvited guest, there are several simple ways:

1. Regular thorough inspection for foreign formations - young tinder fungi are much easier to separate from the trunk than old ones.
2. It is better to impregnate any cuts on trees with fungicides, carbolic acid or blue vitriol - fungal spores penetrate mainly through open places.
3. If a tinder fungus is found on a tree too late, it is better to remove it anyway so that the fungus does not produce spores that can infect other trees. In turn, all other trees must be immediately treated with fungicides.

Tinder fungi are both beneficial and harmful mushrooms at the same time. If you apply protection measures correctly and even just regularly monitor the trees, nothing threatens the garden - fruiting bodies develop rather slowly.

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