ID: Horse's Hoof Fungus?

[Toadflax]

Found a lot of these yesterday in the local woods - wondering if they are Horse's Hoof Fungus - or any clues to confirm an ID? And what to do with them next to make tinder.

The overall appearance seems 'hoofy' - the lower surface is smooth and white. the third photo shows a piece broken off the lower surface showing a brown layer underneath the main white flesh - which smells 'mushroomy'.

Thanks


Geoff

 

[Jodie]

Looks about right, although I have no direct experience with it. I don't know, for example,
if there are "things that can easily be confused for HH fungus"...

It's also known as bracket fungus, tinder fungus or Fomes fomentarius so it might be
worth using those terms to do a search here to see what to do next.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomes_fomentarius
Google images for comparison: http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=fomes fomentarius

Someone has kindly / cheekily published a video of RM using this, among
other items, to create sparks / fire on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaHNWaBmNJU&mode=related&search=

Jo

 

[Toadflax]

Thanks, Jodie, for the suggestions. The underneath is in fact light brown, and is covered with tiny pores. I cut it in two (picture below) but can't see a layer that would obviously be used for tinder. I am wondering whether I should have got a dead one - from the smell and appearance of the flesh, this one seems to be (have been!) living.


Geoff

 

[Jodie]

Hmmm... I've honestly no idea. Perhaps you have something else - it could be this:

Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus)
The birch polypore, also known as the razorstrop, is a bracket fungus (a fungus which
grows on the sides of logs or trees). It is most commonly found growing in broadleaved
woodland on old, dying or dead silver or downy birch trees between September and
November. P. betulinus has a bracket 10–20cm across and 2–6cm thick. It has a
rounded shape at first expanding to a hoof-shape. The lower surface has pores rather
than gills. They grow annually but remain intact from one year to the next.
Source: http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/in...he_dales-2/species/fungi_and_lichen/fungi.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piptoporus_betulinus

If you still think it's Fomes then there's a page on Wikipedia about amadou and how
to turn it into tinder: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadou

 

[Toadflax]

I found an article on amadou (not on Wikipedia) and the cross section does look different to my fungus. Also, the distribution suggests that horse's hoof is only found in Scotland - this is in Oxfordshire so may well be too far south.

Oh well, I collected a few cramp balls and pieces of birch bark on the same walk so I got some natural fire lighting materials. And I did manage to 'stalk' a deer while it was feeding and got pretty close to watch it for about 20 minutes and was observed by a red kite (it seemed to be deliberately having a look at me as it circled overhead).


Geoff

 

[Goose]

It looks like artists conk, if you draw on the underside it should turn brown. They are very similar to horses hoof the main difference being the layers. There are two layers inside one looks like a chamois leather, this is wat makes amodou, this the top layer and the lower layer is like woody rods. Horse hoof has a really thick top layer and thinner bottom and artists is the opposite, but does seem to have the same properties.
Birch polpore is a lot smoother on top.

LOoking at the cutaway picture again it might be horses hoof!

 

[gregorach]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's artist's conk. Hoof fungus is much darker in the cross-section, and really does have a hoof-like shape. Birch Polypore doesn't have the growth rings you can see on the outer surface, because it grows annually.

 

[andyn]

I know the top pic as Common Ganoderma, which is slightly different to artist fungus.

The artist fungus cross section is normally dark brown all the way through, whereas common ganoderma is whitey brown as shown in the pics.

 

[Goose]

I know the top pic as Common Ganoderma, which is slightly different to artist fungus.

The artist fungus cross section is normally dark brown all the way through, whereas common ganoderma is whitey brown as shown in the pics.

The cross section is what made me unsure, thought may be it was rotten or infected in some way. I only know a couple of fungi, polypore and artists seem to be the only useful ones I can find round here and on a recent trip to yorkshire I found some crampballs , I know there are edible ones around but too risky for me!

Found this site, probably been linked to before, http://www.mushrooms.org.uk/default.asp , even I can understand it!

 

[andyn]

Found this site, probably been linked to before, http://www.mushrooms.org.uk/default.asp , even I can understand it!

Cool site, now bookmarked, like the way you can search by things. shame you cant do a multiple varible search e.g. edible, in such and such location, in July or similar.

 

[xylaria]

I am certain that it is a ganoderma as there is what appears to be brown spore dust on the surrounding plants. But the cross section is very odd. As goose said ganoderma inner trama layer is like chamois leather and is brown not white.

The fungus may have a fungal infection. I don't know of any brown spored polypores with white inner.

 

[Freds Dad]

Yes, this is one. I was in the forests of Luxembourg in late July with my Scout troop, around the town of Echternach and the Birch trees where covered in them. For my summer holday i was in the forests north of Compiegne in Piccardi. there was also lots on the birch trees there. The speciman does look an bit manky.

 

[rich59]

The first photo seems absolutely classical for "common ganoderma" The cross section does show a normal dark brown pore layer at the bottom, but the rest looks like it has been grown through with the fungal hyphae - hence the white appearance.