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Luis Alejandro Apiolaza, CC BY-SA 4.0
History
History
Photo by Richard M. Kearney
The Red-belted Conk has a long history with tribes in North America. For example, the Blackfoot tribe of Alberta were known to put the dried form of this mushroom in a buffalo horn to transfer embers when moving camps due to its highly flammable nature. It has also been used by the Cree of Canada to treat wounds and as a hemostatic agent. Other tribes have used the mushroom to treat headaches, flavor and preserve soups, as well as providing an extra immune boost during the winter months. (Rogers, R. 2014)
The Red-belted Conk has a long history with tribes in North America. For example, the Blackfoot tribe of Alberta were known to put the dried form of this mushroom in a buffalo horn to transfer embers when moving camps due to its highly flammable nature. It has also been used by the Cree of Canada to treat wounds and as a hemostatic agent. Other tribes have used the mushroom to treat headaches, flavor and preserve soups, as well as providing an extra immune boost during the winter months. (Rogers, R. 2014)
It likewise has ancient roots in Chinese and Korean folk medicine to treat inflammition and bring about general wellness of the body and mind (Bishop, K. 2020).
It likewise has ancient roots in Chinese and Korean folk medicine to treat inflammition and bring about general wellness of the body and mind (Bishop, K. 2020).
Habitat
Habitat
Credit: CC0 Public Domain
The Red-belted conk grows commonly in temperate zones of North America, as well as Europe and Asia. The latin nomenclature for the Red-Belted conk, fomitopsis pinicola, gives us insight into the environment in which it grows. The second part means “inhabiting a pine tree” (Rogers, R., 2014). It's a perennial mushroom that is rarely found on living trees. It's very commony found on Douglas-fir and redwood and creates brown crumbly rot in the wood. (Arora, D., 1986)
The Red-belted conk grows commonly in temperate zones of North America, as well as Europe and Asia. The latin nomenclature for the Red-Belted conk, fomitopsis pinicola, gives us insight into the environment in which it grows. The second part means “inhabiting a pine tree” (Rogers, R., 2014). It's a perennial mushroom that is rarely found on living trees. It's very commony found on Douglas-fir and redwood and creates brown crumbly rot in the wood. (Arora, D., 1986)
- Found in coniferous forests
- Grows on all decidious trees
- Found in temperate zones
Medicinal Properties
Medicinal Properties
Although more research and clinical studies are needed in order to prove these medicinal properties, the research that has been done on this lesser known mushroom points to a great potential for treating many ailments. Various phytochemicals contained within this mushroom have been shown to help with the following, either in isolation or synergistically with other compounds (Biship, K., 2020):
Although more research and clinical studies are needed in order to prove these medicinal properties, the research that has been done on this lesser known mushroom points to a great potential for treating many ailments. Various phytochemicals contained within this mushroom have been shown to help with the following, either in isolation or synergistically with other compounds (Biship, K., 2020):
- Cancer treatment (Bishop, K., 2020)
- Benefits for Diabetes (Bishop, K., 2020)
- Anti-inflammatory (Bishop, K., 2020) (Rogers, R., 2014)
- Skin Care (Rogers, R., 2014)
Morphology
Morphology
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This beautiful bracket fungus resembles a multi-colored hoof protruding from dead or dying trees. It could be mistaken for reishi (Ganoderma tsugae) or various other mushrooms of the Fomitopsis genus. It has an interesting sweating process known as “guttation”, which has a bitter-sweet taste. (Rogers, R., 2014)
This beautiful bracket fungus resembles a multi-colored hoof protruding from dead or dying trees. It could be mistaken for reishi (Ganoderma tsugae) or various other mushrooms of the Fomitopsis genus. It has an interesting sweating process known as “guttation”, which has a bitter-sweet taste. (Rogers, R., 2014)
- Slightly varnished
- Black, brown, redish, with brightly colored margins
- Shelflike or bracket-like fungus
- Hard and woody texture
- Smell is sweet
- 5-40 cm broad, 3-22 cm thick
(Arora, D., 1986)
(Arora, D., 1986)
Resource List
Resource List
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