Fomitopsis pinicola
Fomitopsis pinicola
The red-belted conk or red-banded polypore (Fomitopsis pinicola (Swartz: Fries) Karsten, 1889) is a mushroom belonging to the Fomitopsidaceae family.
Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Fungi Kingdom,
Division Basidiomycota,
Subdivision Agarcmonycotina,
Class Agaricomycetes,
Subclass Incertae sedis,
Order Polyporales,
Family Fomitopsidaceae,
Genus Fomitopsis,
Species F. pinicola.
The terms are synonymous:
– Antrodia serpens subsp. tuber P.Karst., 1889;
– Antrodia serpens var. tuber P.Karst.;
– Antrodia tuber (P.Karst.) P.Karst.;
– Boletus ellipticus Pers., 1800;
– Boletus fomentarius var. ungulatus (Schaeff.) Pers.;
– Boletus fulvus Schaeff.;
– Boletus marginatus Pers.;
– Boletus pinicola Sw.;
– Boletus semiovatus Schaeff.;
– Boletus ungulatus Schaeff.;
– Boletus ungulatus Schaeff. ex St.-Amans;
– Coriolus helveolus (Rostk.) Quél.;
– Favolus pinihalepensis Pat.;
– Fomes albus (Lázaro Ibiza) Sacc. & Trotter;
– Fomes cinnamomeus (Trog) Gillet, 1878;
– Fomes cinnamomeus (Trog) Sacc., 1888;
– Fomes cinnamomeus Trog;
– Fomes cinnamomeus Trog ex Fr.;
– Fomes lychneus Lázaro Ibiza;
– Fomes marginatus (Fr.);
– Fomes marginatus (Pers.) Fr.;
– Fomes marginatus (Pers.) Gillet;
– Fomes marginatus f. paludosus Murashk.;
– Fomes marginatus f. paludosus Murashk. ex Pilát;
– Fomes pini-halepensis Pat.;
– Fomes pinicola (Sw.) Fr.;
– Fomes pinicola subsp. marginatus (Pers.) Overh., 1953;
– Fomes pinicola var. marginatus (Pers.) Overh.;
– Fomes subungulatus Murrill;
– Fomes thomsonii (Berk.) Cooke;
– Fomes ungulatus (Schaeff.) Sacc.;
– Fomitopsis marginata (Pers.) P.Karst.;
– Fomitopsis pinicola f. effusa (Bourdot & Galzin) Domański, Orloś & Skirg.;
– Fomitopsis pinicola f. paludosa (Murashk. ex Pilát) Domański, Orloś & Skirg.;
– Fomitopsis subungulata (Murrill) Imazeki;
– Friesia rubra Lázaro Ibiza;
– Ganoderma rubrum (Lázaro Ibiza) Sacc. & Trotter;
– Ischnoderma helveolum (Rostk.) P.Karst.;
– Leptodon strigosum (Sw.) Quél.;
– Mensularia alba Lázaro Ibiza;
– Mensularia marginata (Pers.) Lázaro Ibiza;
– Piptoporus helveolus (Rostk.) P.Karst.;
– Placodes cinnamomeus (Trog ex Fr.) Ricken;
– Placodes helveolus (Rostk.) Quél.;
– Placodes marginatus (Pers.) Quél.;
– Placodes marginatus var. pinicola (Sw.) Quél.;
– Placodes pinicola (Sw.) Pat.;
– Placodes ungulatus (Schaeff.) Ricken;
– Polyporus helveolus Rostk.;
– Polyporus marginatus (Pers.) Fr.;
– Polyporus marginatus Pers.;
– Polyporus marginatus var. pinicola (Sw.) Costantin & L.M.Dufour;
– Polyporus parvulus (Lázaro Ibiza) Sacc. & Trotter;
– Polyporus pinicola (Sw.) Fr.;
– Polyporus pinicola Sw.;
– Polyporus pinicola subsp. pinicola;
– Polyporus semiovatus (Schaeff.) Britzelm.;
– Polyporus thomsonii Berk.;
– Polyporus ungulatus (Schaeff.) Sacc.;
– Pseudofomes pinicola (Sw.) Lázaro Ibiza;
– Pyrenium ungulatum (Schaeff.) Paulet;
– Scindalma cinnamomeum Trog;
– Scindalma cinnamomeum Trog ex Kuntze;
– Scindalma marginatum (Pers.) Kuntze;
– Scindalma semiovatum (Schaeff.) Kuntze;
– Scindalma thomsonii (Berk.) Kuntze;
– Scindalma ungulatum (Schaeff.) Kuntze;
– Trametes marginata (Pers.) P.Karst.;
– Trametes pinicola (Sw.) P.Karst.;
– Ungularia parvula Lázaro Ibiza;
– Ungulina marginata (Pers.) Pat.;
– Ungulina marginata f. effusa Bourdot & Galzin;
– Ungulina marginata f. paludosa Pilát;
– Ungulina marginata f. przibramensis Pilát;
– Ungulina marginata f. resupinata Bourdot & Galzin;
– Ungulina pinicola (Sw.) Singer;
– Ungulina ungulata (Schaeff.) Pat..
Etymology –
The term Fomitopsis comes from the name of the genus of mushrooms Fomes (from fomes wood to light the fire, tinder: because it was once used, impregnated with saltpetre, as tinder) and from the Greek ὄψις ópsis appearance, resemblance: similar to a Fomes.
The specific epithet pinicola comes from the Latin “pinícolus”, meaning that it lives among the pines.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Fomitopsis pinicola is a common mushroom throughout temperate Europe, Asia, North America and Africa.
It is a decaying fungus that serves as a small-scale disturbance agent in coastal rainforest ecosystems. It influences stand structure and succession in temperate rainforests. It performs essential functions of nutrient cycling in forests. As well as being a key producer of brown rot residues which are stable soil components in coniferous forest ecosystems.
The habitat of this stem decay fungus, usually saprophytic, rarely parasitic, is that of coniferous forests, especially Picea, both in the mountains and in the plains, rarely on broad-leaved trees.
Recognition –
Fomitopsis pinicola is recognized by having a hoof-shaped or triangular and sometimes shelf-shaped cap. It is hard and tough, up to 30 cm or more wide and 15 cm thick.
Its surface is more or less smooth, initially yellow-orange with a white margin, then dark reddish to brown and then often with an orange margin.
It grows as thick shelves on living and dead conifers or (less commonly) deciduous trees.
The cap has perennial, applanate, isolated or overlapping, woody basidiomes, from 10 to 30 cm in length; whitish and wavy margins with the zoned, lacquered pileal surface, blackish brown in the part adhering to the substrate, yellowish or reddish in the marginal part, guttation drops are often present in fresh specimens.
The hymenium is poroid, creamy white in colour, yellowish if rubbed, with 4-6 pores per mm, rounded and multi-layered cream-ochreous tubules, those of the last year are lighter.
The stem is absent.
The flesh is the same color as the tubules, leathery and woody, up to 10-12 cm thick, noticeably fibrous when broken, with an unpleasant odor and a fresh and acidic flavour.
Under the microscope, a trimitic hyphal system is observed, thin-walled hyaline generating hyphae, with buckle joints, 2.5-3.5 µm in diameter; frequent, thick-walled, yellowish skeletal hyphae, 3-6 µm in diameter; connective hyphae frequent but difficult to observe, thick-walled and short lateral branches, 3-5 µm in diameter. Tetrasporic clavate basidia, with basal buckle joints, 18-22 × 6.5-8 µm. Basidiospores cylindrical-ellipsoidal, hyaline, smooth, with thin walls, folded on one side, ± clearly apiculate, non-amyloid, 6-8 × 3-4 µm.
As for the reactions: context and tubules turn red with KOH in young specimens, vinous or black in mature or dried specimens.
Cultivation –
Fomitopsis pinicola is not a cultivated mushroom although it has been reported that the mushrooms have significant antioxidant activity, so it may be of interest for future medicinal applications. In fact, the basidiocarps of the mushroom have been reported to have medicinal uses in Asia.
Customs and Traditions –
Fomitopsis pinicola is a mushroom known by various common names including: “marginated polypore” (Italy); “yesquero del pino” (Spain); “amadouvier de pins, unguline marginée” (France); “Fichten-Porling” (Germany); “red banded polypore”, “brown crumbly”, “rot fruiting bodies” (UK).
A subdivision of F. pinicola is currently underway to isolate distinct species that have all previously been classified as F. pinicola. DNA analysis supports the division of F. pinicola into three groups: F. pinicola, F. mounceae and F. schrenkii.
It can be confused with Perenniporia fraxinea (Bulliard) Ryvarden 1978, which has a tuberculate, unlacquered, brownish-grey pileal surface, ocher poroid surface with pinkish hues, grows only on broad-leaved trees; Fomitopsis pinicola when old can be confused with Fome fomentarius (Linnaeus) Fries, 1849, which however has a gray surface, a lighter margin, greyish pores and larger spores. Another possible confusion can be had with Fomitopsis rosea (Albertini & Schweinitz) P. Karsten 1881, which however grows mostly on beech, has a dark gray surface, first shiny then matt and a pink hymenium. Some species of the genus Ganoderma Karsten 1881, which have a lacquered surface, but never with the colors of Fomitopsis pinicola, and the spore is reddish-brown in mass, can create possible confusion.
Most stem decay (heart rot) in mature forests resulting from this fungus does not interfere with the normal growth and physiological processes of living trees because the vascular system is not affected. It is classified as brown rot, which mainly degrades cellulose in trees. The early stage of wood decay appears as a yellowish to brownish color, while the advanced stage appears as brown, brittle breaking into cubic pieces. Wood affected by this fungus can become more brittle and prone to breakage in strong winds and cannot be used for pulp production. This species requires the exposed wood of the wounds to enter, continuing their decay after the tree’s death. On dead trees, the fungus affects the sapwood and then progresses into the heartwood.
The fruiting bodies of the fungus produce abundant basidocarps and basidiospores which are generally dispersed in air currents and germinate in contact with wood or other substrates, but the true degradation of the wood is due to the thread-like vegetative part of the fungus within the trees. The fungus can develop anywhere on the roots or stem, but is more common in the lower part of the trunk, where frequent wounds favor infection.
This brown rot fungus degrades only cellulose, leaving the other primary constituents of wood, lignin, as a considerably less dense but quite stable residual structure, suitable for burrowing by birds such as woodpeckers.
This fungus is normally found on dead pine trees, but can be found on all conifers. It may also be observed growing on large trunk wounds, broken tops and dead tissue of living trees.
From an ecological point of view, this fungus also performs essential functions of nutrient cycling in forests by decomposing stems, branches, roots and trunks of dead trees. The cavities created by the fungus in standing trees provide crucial habitat for many species of wildlife including bears, voles, squirrels and numerous bird species. The lack of disturbance in these areas and the longevity of individual trees leave ample time for this slow-growing decaying fungus to cause significant decay.
Preparation Method –
Fomitopsis pinicola is a mushroom with edibility of no value because it is woody.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Cetto B., 2008. Mushrooms from life, Saturnia, Trento.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/250724372/original.jpeg
Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.