''Phellinus igniarius'' (syn. ''Phellinus trivialis'') is a fungus of the family ''

Hymenochaetaceae The ''Hymenochaetaceae'' are a family of fungi in the order Hymenochaetales. The family contains several species that are implicated in many diseases of broad-leaved and coniferous trees, causing heart rot, canker and root diseases, and also es ...

''. Like other members of the genus of Phellinus it lives by

saprotrophic Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ( ...

nutrition, in which the lignin and

cellulose Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell w ...

of a host tree is degraded and is a cause of

white rot A wood-decay or xylophagous fungus is any species of fungus that digests moist wood, causing it to rot. Some species of wood-decay fungi attack dead wood, such as brown rot, and some, such as ''Armillaria'' (honey fungus), are parasitic and col ...

. Common names are willow bracket and fire sponge The fungus forms perennial fruiting bodies that rise as woody-hard, hoof or disc-shaped

brackets A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or ' ...

from the bark of the infested living tree or dead log. The tree species is often

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

but it may be commonly found on

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains ...

and

alder Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...

and other broad leafed trees. The top is covered with a dark, often cracked crust, a stem is present only in its infancy. Unlike most fungi it has a hard woody consistency and may persist for many years, building a new surface layer each year. It was prized as

kindling Kindling is material for firelighting Kindling may also refer to: * ''Kindling'' (album), a 1973 album by Gene Parsons * ''Kindling'' (film), a 1915 film by Cecil B. DeMille * ''Kindling'' (Mick Farren novel) * ''Ruined City'' (novel) or ''Ki ...

material. In Alaska, it is burnt by locals, and the ash (punk ash) is mixed with chewing tobacco to enhance the effect of the nicotine in the tobacco.

Description and ecology

The species is a

polypore Polypores are a group of fungi that form large fruiting bodies with pores or tubes on the underside (see Delimitation for exceptions). They are a morphological group of basidiomycetes-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi, and not all polyp ...

, with pores on the underside that bear

basidiospore A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi, a grouping that includes mushrooms, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are ...

s. The species causes a

that leads to the tree to decay. Woodpeckers are known to favour its site as a good place to excavate a nesting chamber since the wood will be soft and weaker around its location. The bracket measures, 5–20 cm in diameter, but in rare cases may be 40 cm wide. The thickness of the bracket varies from 2–12 cm, to 20 cm in exceptional cases. These conks are among the longest persisting fungal fruit bodies, displaying up to eighty annual growth rings. The fungus has small, grayish brown pores whose density is 4–6 per square mm. Its tubes have a length of about 2–7 mm. Each year, the fungus forms a new layer of tubes superimposed on the old layers. Unreleased old spores often find themselves sealed in by later growth that clog the tubes and they appear in cross section as brown spots. The flesh becomes harder with age and dryness, with humidity it softens. The smell of the fruit body has a pronounced mushroom character, the flavor of the meat is bitter. Upon contact with

potassium hydroxide Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula K OH, and is commonly called caustic potash. Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which exp ...

, the flesh is dyed black. The spores of the ''P. igniarius'' form a whitish cast.David Arora: ''Mushrooms demystified: a comprehensive guide to the fleshy fungi.'' Ten Speed Press, 1986. , S. 581.Michael Jordan: ''The encyclopedia of fungi of Britain and Europe.'' frances lincoln ltd, 2004. , S. 114. It is considered to be inedible.

Gallery

Tune u Hájské in winter 2010 (25) cropped.JPG, ''Phellinus igniarius'' seen in winter in Strakonice District, Czech Republic Pilze d. Heimat, T. 24 - Polyporus igniarius.jpg, Illustrated in Schmeil's scientific atlas Feuerschwamm Poren (1).jpg, The pores on the lower surface, magnified Coloured Figures of English Fungi or Mushrooms - t. 132.jpg, Illustrated in James Sowerby's Coloured Figures of English Fungi or Mushrooms, (published 1797–1809)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1356296 Nut tree diseases Stone fruit tree diseases Fungal tree pathogens and diseases Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Fungi described in 1753 Inedible fungi igniarius Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus