We didn’t pick this mushroom but we were sorry we couldn’t. Called Fomes fomentarius (commonly known as the tinder fungus, false tinder fungus, hoof fungus, tinder conk, tinder polypore or ice man fungus) it grows on the side of various species of tree, which it infects through broken bark, causing rot. The species typically continues to live on trees long after they have died.
Though inedible, F. fomentarius has traditionally seen use as the main ingredient of amadous, a material used primarily as tinder.
Nous n’avons pas ramassé ce champignon mais il nous a beaucoup plu …Appelé l’Amadouvier (Fomes fomentarius), son nom renvoie à l’amadou, mot d’origine provençale qui signifie « amoureux », en allusion à sa capacité à prendre feu. Le taxon scientifique se traduit, lui, littéralement par « combustible à pansements ».
Categories
4 replies on “Tinder Fungus – Amadouvier”
It certainly does have interesting textures.
It can also be processed into a leather like material, which could be used on wounds to dry them out, or to make accessories such as pouches. Lookalike Ganoderma applanatum is False Tinder Fungus, Fomes fomentarius is True Tinder Fungus. The name Ice Man Fungus is quite new and has come about because Ötzi, the ‘ice man’ found on the Italian/Austrian border in the Alps, was carrying a pouch containing F. fomentarius, presumably for tinder.
That’s a beautiful fungus. And nicely “captured” even if you couldn’t take it home.
@William – yes, I like the textures too.
@Susan – thanks for that additional and very interesting information
@Stuart – and made even more interesting by Susan’s information!