Content
The fox tinder is an inedible representative of the Hymenochetaceae family. It grows on dead deciduous wood, causing white rot on it. Despite the fact that this representative is not used in cooking, it is widely used in folk medicine and cosmetology.
What does fox tinder look like?
The half-prostrate fruiting body has a wide convex base, 5-7 cm in diameter. The surface is ribbed, velvety, with rounded, blunted edges, and is painted bright orange. As it grows, the edges become sharper, curve upward, and the surface becomes rusty or brown. The mushroom is attached to the tree by its side surface. The leg is missing.
The pulp is soft, watery, becomes hard, fibrous, and brownish-brown in color with age. Reproduction occurs by microscopic spores that are located in the tubular layer.
The mushroom got its name from its bright red color.
Where does fox tinder grow?
This forest dweller prefers to grow on rotten aspen wood. It can also be found on stumps, dead wood, fruit trees and building material. It grows in single specimens or forms a tiled family.It begins to bear fruit from May to September.
The fox polypore is a parasite and saprotroph. Settling on a rotting tree, it destroys it and turns the soil into a nutrient substrate, which has a beneficial effect on the growth of young animals.
Infection can be recognized on building materials by the yellow-ocher stripe separating it from the healthy area. If the fungus has settled on a fruit crop, then in order to prevent it from spreading throughout the entire trunk, it must be cut off at the first stage of development, as it can lead to infection with white rot and death of the plant. If you are late in getting rid of it, the fungus quickly spreads throughout the entire tree. Such a crop is not simply cut down, but uprooted and burned.
Is it possible to eat fox tinder?
This tree mushroom is inedible, but not poisonous. Due to the hard, tasteless and unflavoured pulp, the species is not used in cooking. But thanks to its beneficial qualities, the mushroom is widely used in medicine and cosmetology.
Medicinal properties and uses
The fruiting body contains a large amount of useful substances, so it is often used in folk medicine. This representative of the forest kingdom helps with the following diseases:
- obesity;
- constipation;
- dysbacteriosis;
- will relieve depression;
- prevents the development of sepsis;
- saves from fever.
The young fruiting body is often used in cosmetology to prepare face masks. Such cosmetic procedures smooth out wrinkles, rejuvenate the skin, giving it freshness, shine and new youth.
Contraindications to the use of fox tinder fungus
Medicines prepared from fox tinder fungus are contraindicated for allergy sufferers, pregnant and lactating women, as well as people with urolithiasis.For diarrhea, tinder fungus is not used, as the mushroom has laxative effects.
Conclusion
The fox tinder fungus is an inedible representative of the mushroom kingdom. It grows throughout Russia, on dead and, less often, living wood. At the same time, it becomes infected with white rot and begins to rapidly deteriorate. But, despite all the negative qualities, the fox tinder fungus is considered a forest health worker and is used to prepare medicinal decoctions and cosmetic masks.
