Community find

Red-belted Polypore (Aged/Weathered)

Fomitopsis mounceae (formerly Fomitopsis pinicola complex)

Group

polypore

Spore print

White to light yellow.

Size

5-40 cm wide, 3-20 cm thick at the base.

Season

Perennial (fruiting bodies are present year-round)

Habitat

Grows on living or dead coniferous trees, occasionally on hardwoods. Found on the trunk of the tree as seen in the image.

Distribution

Widespread across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Key characteristics

Hard, woody, perennial bracket fungus. These specimens appear old and weathered, showing a dark, blackened upper surface that is cracked (rimose) with some moss growth. They lack the characteristic vibrant red-orange margins seen in fresh specimens.

Fruiting body

Conical to shelf-like brackets. The upper surface in these older specimens is charcoal-grey to black and deeply fissured. The hymenophore (underside) consists of minute pores, typically creamy white when fresh but browning with age. No stipe (sessile).

How to recognise it

Look for the thick, woody shelf-like structure on conifers. Even when blackened by age, the internal context usually remains a corky, wood-color and the pore layer stays relatively distinct from the upper crust.

Look-alikes

Phellinus igniarius (Tinder Conk) which is generally more hoof-shaped and darker throughout, or Ganoderma species which usually have a shinier, laccate surface.

Ecological role

Saprophytic (decomposer) causing brown crumbly rot, and occasionally parasitic on weakened trees.

Notes

These fungi are important for forest ecosystems as they break down cellulose, recycling nutrients back into the soil. They are exceptionally long-lived for a fungus, adding a new layer of pores each year. They have been studied for their ability to produce various volatile organic compounds.