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Smoky tinder fungus is a representative of tinder species, wood destroyers. It settles on the stumps of dead trees, soon after that the plant remains turn into dust. In different sources, you can find its other names: bjerkandera smoky, Latin - Bjerkandera fumosa.
Description of the smoky tinder fungus
The cap grows up to 12 cm in circumference, up to 2 cm thick, its color is pale gray, while the edges are lighter than the center. The surface is smooth or finely hairy.
The shape of the fungus is effusive-reflex, stretched over the substrate, in the form of a cap attached to the trunk, or outstretched, curved. The leg is missing.
There may be several mushroom caps on a tree, over time they grow together into one total mass
Ripe smoky polypores turn yellow. The edges of the cap are rounded, becoming sharper as they grow. The young representative of the species is loose, light gray, becomes dense and brown with age.
A distinctive feature of the matured specimen: when cut on the fruiting body, a thin, dark line can be seen above the layer of tubules. The flesh of the mushroom is thinned, dark brown in color, spongy and tough.
With the onset of the fruiting period, the bjorkander produces white, beige or colorless pores. They are located on the back of the fruiting body, have a rounded, spherical shape, and become angular over time. On 1 mm of the surface of the fungus, from 2 to 5 smooth, small spores mature. Their powder is straw yellow.
Where and how it grows
A parasitic fungus grows on fallen forest and garden trees, decaying stumps of deciduous crops. For gardeners, the appearance of a bjorkandera is a signal that a fruit-bearing tree is unhealthy. It is necessary to immediately take measures to destroy the parasite, since the entire area will soon be infected.
In spring, the fungus parasitizes living trees, without signs of wilting
Fruiting begins in April and lasts until the end of autumn (November). Smoky polypore feeds on decaying wood residues. The parasitic fungus is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, throughout Russia, except for the southern regions.
Is the mushroom edible or not
Smoky tinder fungus belongs to the inedible species of mushrooms. Has no nutritional value.
How does smoky tinder fungus affect trees
Mycelium spores penetrate the tree bark through cracks and breaks. Bjorkander, settling on the bark, grows into the center of the trunk, destroying it from the inside, and turns it into dust. At its first appearance, measures are taken, most often radical - the tree is destroyed, since it is impossible to remove the mycelium under the bark. Also, all smoky stumps affected by spores are uprooted. It is impossible to allow the spread of bjorkandera: it produces new, young fruiting bodies in a short time.
Doubles and their differences
The tinder fungus of this species has an inedible twin - the scorched bjorkander. The mushroom is widespread not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Fruiting from May to November.
The contrasting color distinguishes this basidiomycete from other representatives of the species.
The mushroom cap has a shape identical to the smoky tinder fungus - semicircular, outstretched, but thicker flesh. The tubules are also larger and turn brown.
The skin on the cap is velvety, finely hairy. The color of the singed bjorkander is darker than that of the tinder fungus, almost black or dark gray, the edges have a whitish edging.
The habitats and habitats of both species are identical.
Conclusion
Smoky polypore is a basidiomycete parasitizing on deciduous trees. Its appearance provokes the development of white mold - a disease dangerous for horticultural crops. The fight against the fungus at the first sign of its appearance should begin immediately. The main method is uprooting and removing infected plant debris from the site.
