Content
Smoothed fellinus is a perennial tinder fungus parasitizing on wood. Belongs to the Gimenochete family.
What does fellinus look like?
Fruit bodies are round or oblong, hard, leathery, thin, most often prostrate, rarely bent-out. They adhere very tightly to the substrate (decaying wood). The litter is hard, light brown or brownish brown. The surface has a silky sheen, wavy, uneven, light brown, chestnut, brown, pinkish-grayish-brownish in spring. The edges rise a little, look like a pubescent narrow ridge, in older specimens they lag behind the wood.
The hymenophore is usually layered, the walls of the tubules are thin, the pores are round or slightly elongated, and very small. Young mushrooms develop one by one, then merge into irregularly shaped formations up to 25 cm long.
Tinder fungus parasitizes trees
A similar species is Lundell's fellinus. The main difference between the smoothed one is very small pores and a ridge-like edge. Lundella occurs quite often and regularly, mainly in old-growth forests. It most often grows on birches, sometimes on alder and very rarely on other deciduous trees (on dry, stubs, valezha, sometimes on living, weakened trees). Causes white rot. It can be prostrate or prostrate-bent, and is of medium size. The folded part in young mushrooms is smooth, in old ones it is covered with cracks, the color is dark brown, sometimes almost black. The litter is dense, thin, brownish-red, or light brown. The surface with hymenium is even, brown or reddish, in spring it takes on a grayish tint, there is no silky sheen. Rusty tubules, unexpressed stratification. The pores are rather small and round. The mushroom is inedible.
Lundell tubes are rusty
Where the smoothed fellinus grows
In Russia, it is found throughout the entire forest zone. It comes across regularly, but quite rarely. The most common place of growth is fallen and rotting trunks, twigs and branches of birch.
Is it possible to eat smoothed fellinus
The tinder fungus is an inedible species. It is not used for food, it is not of interest for mushroom pickers.
Conclusion
Smooth Pellinus is a white rot parasite that destroys wood. Brown mycelium filaments can be seen in the affected areas. Its main difference from related open species is very small pores.
