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Willow Bracket
Inedible 
Autumn 
Spring 
Summer 
Winter 
A medium-sized to large perennial polypore found mostly on Willows, and especially in the Northern areas, on Birch.
| Mushroom Type | |
| Common Names | Willow Bracket, Ysgwydd Helyg (CY), Czyreń Ogniowy (PL), Parázstapló (HU) |
| Scientific Name | Phellinus igniarius |
| Season Start | All Year |
| Season End | All Year |
| Average Mushroom height (CM) | 5–20 |
| Average Cap width (CM) | 5–30 |
Fruiting Body
Perennial. 10–30 cm long, 10–12 cm wide, 8–10 cm thick (or more). Broadly attached to the substrate without having a stem (sessile). Very variable in size and shape. It starts as a lump, then expands and flattens, possibly most commonly hoof shaped or shelflike, often looks almost triangular in section. Growing solitarily. its upper (sterile) surface is thick, crust-like, glabrous and smooth at first, later becomes sulcate, encrusted and especially when older, deeply cracked. It is greyish to blackish, often covered with algae. Margin thick and rounded, whitish at first, later yellowish to rusty brown.
Pores
Tubes are layered annually (stratified), 4–5 mm long per layer, concolorous with the flesh, stuffed with white mycelium. Pores 4–6 per mm, roundish, chestnut coloured with a greyish bloom.
Flesh
2–3 cm thick, hard as a wood, reddish brown to cinnamon brown, dark chocolate brown when moist, with faintly visible white stripes in section. Zonate.
Habitat
On living or dead trunks and fallen branches of hardwoods, most of all Willows and Birch. Necrotrophic parasite, causes white-rot of the heartwood. The fruitbodies continue growing after the death of the host.
Possible Confusion
It can be confused with the other members of Phellinus igniarius complex, such as
Phellinus alni looks almost identical (shape, colour, pore size etc.), but its preferred host is Common Alder (Alnus glutinosa).
Phellinus nigricans prefers Birch, but it can be found on Alder too. Its shiny, almost smooth, really dark, blackish upper (sterile) surface, and the different hosts can help to separate it.
Phellinus populicola prefers Aspen and other Poplar trees. Its pore surface more or less flat and facing downwards to the Earth.
Aspen Bracket (Phellinus tremulae) prefers Aspen and other Poplars, especially White Poplar (Populus alba). Its pore surface more or less roundish, not flat.
N.B. you need to check many micro-details if you want to separate the members of Phellinus igniarius complex without any doubts, especially if they are growing on a less typical host.
Taste / Smell
Inedible. Smell and taste indistinctive.
Frequency
Occasional and widespread in the UK.
Spores
Spore print is white. Spores are smooth, thick-walled, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, colourless (hyaline) and inamyloid (not staining in iodine reagents, such as Melzer’s reagent and Lugol’s solution).
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