Fomes fomentarius - Hoof Fungus

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Polyporales

Tinder Fungus and Hoof Fungus are two common names for the persistent, tough polypore Fomes fomentarius. This large bracket fungus attacks mainly birch but occasionally beech and sycamore. The pale leather-brown flesh was used for lighting fires (it burns very slowly); for this reason it was given the common name Tinder Fungus.

Trout fishers use to carry chunks of dried Hoof Fungus, with which they would dry their flies to make them float. Called 'amadou', the material was specially treated and had the reputation of acting as a very effective desiccant.

Identification Guide

This sombre fungus usually appears as a solitary specimen but occasionally two or more tiers are produced.

On standing timber this bracket sometimes gains a hold in clefts in the trunks of older trees; the aged specimen shown here was found on a fallen beech tree.

	Description Annual layers of tubes build up to produce a large hoof-shaped structure 10 to 40cm across and up to 20cm deep at the centre of the attachment line. The upper infertile surface is grey.
Pores and Tubes	Inside the fruiting body the flesh is hard and pale brown, while the spore-bearing surface has minute pores that are pale grey-brown at first but later become dark brown.
Spore print	Very pale lemon.
Odour/taste	The odour is faintly fruity; the taste acrid.
Habitat	On broad-leaf trees, particularly birch, beech and sycamore.
Season	All year round; shedding spores in late summer and autumn.
Occurrence	Infrequent. More common in northern parts of Europe.
Similar species	Could be confused with some of the Ganoderma bracket fungi, although they release brown spores, and possibly with Piptoporus betulinus, the Birch Polypore, which has a much smoother upper surface.