# Tinder Polypore (*fomes excavatus*) The Tinder Polypore is a special type of fungus that grows on trees. It looks like a shelf and can be used to start fires, making it super useful for camping adventures! - **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** It lives on decaying wood in forests. - **Also known as:** Fire Polypore, Fomes excavatus ![Tinder Polypore](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lots_of_Fomes_fomentarius_%28Tinder_fungus_or_Ice_man_fungus%252C_D%253D_Zunderschwamm%252C_F%253D_Amadouvier%252C_NL%253D_Echte_tonderzwam%29_%28up%29_and_Meripilus_giganteus_%28Giant_polypore_-_Reuzenzwammen%29_mushrooms_at_the_foot_of_this_giant_beech_-_panoramio.jpg&width=800) Photo: Henk Monster, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lots_of_Fomes_fomentarius_%28Tinder_fungus_or_Ice_man_fungus%252C_D%253D_Zunderschwamm%252C_F%253D_Amadouvier%252C_NL%253D_Echte_tonderzwam%29_%28up%29_and_Meripilus_giganteus_%28Giant_polypore_-_Reuzenzwammen%29_mushrooms_at_the_foot_of_this_giant_beech_-_panoramio.jpg) ## Appearance The Tinder Polypore is a tough, hoof-shaped or shelf-like fungus with a greyish-brown to blackish crust and a pale, porous underside. Its hard outer surface can show concentric growth rings, making it visually distinct from softer bracket fungi. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Fungi - **Phylum:** Basidiomycota - **Class:** Agaricomycetes - **Order:** Polyporales - **Family:** Polyporaceae - **Genus:** Fomes ## Interesting facts - Ancient people carried glowing embers in its inner layer to transport fire between camps! - Some cultures used slices of its soft inner part as natural bandages or to stop bleeding! - Tiny insect larvae often tunnel through the fungus, finding both food and shelter inside! - You can tell how old a Tinder Polypore is by counting its annual growth rings, like a tree! ## Special abilities - **Fire Starter Power:** Tinder Polypore can catch sparks easily because its soft, inner layer (amadou) is highly flammable, perfect for starting ancient fires. - **Amadou Artisan:** Tinder Polypore has a tough, leathery texture that helps it be shaped into useful items like razor strops, bandages, or even clothing. - **Tree Decomposer:** Tinder Polypore can break down dead or weakened tree wood, helping return essential nutrients back into the forest soil. - **Perennial Growth:** Tinder Polypore grows for many years, adding new layers annually, which helps it become very large and robust on tree trunks. ## Measurements & details - **Edible:** inedible - **Size:** 10-50 cm - **Growth Substrate:** wood - **Season:** Year-round - **Spore Color:** White ## Ecological connections - **Parasitizes:** [American Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-beech) (*Fagus grandifolia*) — causing white rot and eventual tree decay - **Parasitizes:** [Silver Birch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/silver-birch) (*Betula pendula*) — colonizing wounds on live or dead trees - **Parasitizes:** [English Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/english-oak) (*Quercus robur*) — aids in decomposition of dead oak wood - **Parasitizes:** [Sugar Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sugar-maple) (*Acer saccharum*) — breaking down wood fibers in heartwood ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Tinder Polypore? Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### Is Tinder Polypore edible? inedible ### How big is Tinder Polypore? 10-50 cm ### Where is Tinder Polypore usually found? It lives on decaying wood in forests. ### What does Tinder Polypore grow on? wood ### When is Tinder Polypore in season? Year-round ### What color are Tinder Polypore spores? White ## Where to spot - [Loyalsock State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/loyalsock-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest - [Lyman Run State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lyman-run-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park - [Quehanna Wild Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/quehanna-wild-area) — Pennsylvania, US · Nature Reserve - [Salmon Falls (West) Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/salmon-falls-west-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District - [Boston Aquarial and Zoological Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boston-aquarial-and-zoological-gardens) — Massachusetts, US · Zoo - [Gallitzin State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gallitzin-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest [View all places to see Tinder Polypore](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tinder-polypore) ## More Fungi - [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*) - [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*) - [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*) - [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*) --- Source: [Tinder Polypore: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tinder-polypore)