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Hoof fungus

Inedible

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Winter

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Old hoof fungus (Fomes fomentarius).

A large perennial polypore mushroom, one of the commonest all around Europe.

Mushroom Type
Common Names	Hoof Fungus (EN), Tinder Bracket (EN), Carn y Fedwen (CY), Hubiak Pospolity (PL), Bükkfa-Tapló (HU)
Scientific Name	Fomes fomentarius
Season Start	All Year
Season End	All Year
Average Mushroom height (CM)
Average Cap width (CM)

Please note that each and every mushroom you come across may vary in appearance to these photos.

Fruiting Body

10–60 cm across, 2–25 cm thick, hoof-shaped. Skin is grey-brown to grey, the edge is often yellowish brown, cream or ochre, 1–2 mm thick, smooth.

Pores

Tubes are 2–7 mm long in each layer, their inner surface is cream to dull. Pores are circular, 2–3 per mm, pore surface light grey-brown.

Flesh

Tough, corky and fibrous, concentrically zoned and cinnamon brown.

Habitat

Growing on weak but living or dead deciduous trees. Its main host might vary region by region, but it can be found almost on every hardwood genera and can fruit anytime during the year. It is parasitic or saprotrophic, causing white-rot.

Possible Confusion

It can be confused with Red-Belted Bracket (Fomitopsis pinicola) which prefers conifers, but can be found on birch, and rarely on other hardwood hosts as well.