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The May polypore, otherwise called the ciliated polypore (Lentinus substrictus) belongs to the family Polyporaceae and the genus Sawfolia. Another name for it: Polyporus ciliatus. It is notable for the fact that it changes its appearance significantly throughout its life.
Mushrooms are small in size and have clear edges of the fruiting body.
Description of the May tinder fungus
Polyporus ciliata has a very impressive structure and the ability to change in accordance with weather conditions and the place of growth. Very often, at first glance, it is mistaken for other varieties of mushrooms.
May tinder fungus on the trunk of a fallen tree
Description of the cap
The May tinder appears with a rounded bell-shaped cap. Its edges are noticeably turned inward. As the cap grows, it straightens out, first becoming flat with the edges still rolled up, and then spread out with a small depression in the center. The fruiting body grows from 3.5 to 13 cm.
The surface is dry, covered with thin cilia-scales. The color is varied: grayish-silver or brownish-white in a young mushroom, then darkens to gray-spotted, creamy-golden, brownish-olive and reddish-brown.
The pulp is thin, cream or white in color, with a pronounced mushroom aroma, very hard and fibrous.
The heminophore is tubular, short, descending onto the stalk in a smoothly curved arch. Color white and white-cream.
The cap may be dark-colored, but the spongy underside is always light.
Description of the leg
The stem is cylindrical, with a tuberous thickening at the base, slightly widening towards the cap. Often curved, relatively thin. Its color is similar to the cap: grayish-white, silver, brown, olive-reddish, brownish-golden. The color is uneven and has dotted spots. The surface is dry, velvety, at the root it may be covered with sparse black scales. The pulp is dense and tough. Its diameter is from 0.6 to 1.5 cm, its height reaches 9-12 cm.
The leg is covered with thin brown-brown scales
Where and how does it grow
The May tinder fungus loves sunny meadows and often hides in the grass.Grows on rotten and fallen trunks, fallen trees, and stumps. Appears in mixed forests, parks and gardens, in single specimens and small groups. It is found everywhere throughout the temperate zone: in Russia, Europe, North America and on the islands.
The mycelium is one of the first to bear fruit as soon as warm weather sets in, usually in April. Mushrooms grow actively until the end of summer; you can see them in the warm autumn.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
The May tinder fungus is inedible. The pulp is thin, hard, and has no food or culinary value. No toxic or toxic substances were found in its composition.
Doubles and their differences
In the spring, it is difficult to confuse May tinder with another mushroom, since the look-alikes have not yet germinate.
In summer, the winter tinder fungus is very similar to it. A conditionally edible mushroom that grows until October-November. It is distinguished by a more porous structure of the geminophore and a rich color of the cap.
The winter tinder fungus likes to settle on rotten birch trees
Conclusion
The May tinder fungus is an inedible sponge fungus that lives on the remains of trees. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, it is most often found in May. Loves deciduous and mixed forests, meadows and gardens. Can grow on submerged trunks and snags. He has no poisonous counterparts. A rotting tree trunk is often buried in the soil, so it may appear that the Mayweed is growing right on the ground.
