Content
Phellinus ferrugineofuscus is a tree-growing fruiting body consisting only of a cap. Belongs to the Hymenochaetae family and the genus Phellinus. Its other names:
- phellinidium ferrugineofuscum;
- the tinder fungus is rusting.
Externally, the mushroom resembles a spongy sponge
Where does Phellinus rusty brown grow?
Distributed in the mountainous areas of Siberia, in old forests. In the European part of Russia, the rusty-brown tinder fungus is quite rare. Sometimes found in Northern Europe. Prefers coniferous wood: fir, cedar, pine, spruce. Loves blueberry thickets, damp, shaded places.Grows on dead trees and standing dead trunks, on the bark and branches of dying trees. The mushroom is an annual, but in warm winters it can survive safely until spring.
Rusting tinder fungus growing on a damaged trunk
What does Phellinus rusty brown look like?
The fruiting body is prostrate, devoid of a stalk and tightly adjacent to the substrate. The rusty-brown polypores that have just appeared have the appearance of pubescent reddish balls, which quickly occupy a large area, merging with each other into a single organism. The edges do not have a spore-bearing layer, are sterile, white-gray or light beige, yellowish. Uneven, lumpy, with a characteristic felt consistency. Color: rusty brown, brick, dark chocolate, reddish, light ocher, carrot.
The hymenophore is finely porous, spongy, uneven, with the spore-bearing layer facing outwards. The pulp is dense, leathery, elastic. When dried, it is woody and crumbly. The surface is satin-shiny. Tubes up to 1 cm long.
Old specimens may be covered with colonies of greenish-olive algae
Is it possible to eat Phellinus rusty-brown?
The mushroom is classified as an inedible species due to its extremely low nutritional value. There is no data on its toxicity.
Conclusion
Phellinus rusty-brown is an inedible parasitic mushroom. When it settles on mostly coniferous wood, it causes yellow rot, which results in the wood splitting. Distributed in Siberia and the Urals, in the central part of Russia it is very rare.
