Species details
Red-belted conk
Fomitopsis pinicola
Inedible
Photo: George Chernilevsky · CC BY 4.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A hard perennial bracket with a distinctly zoned surface, often with a pale margin and orange-red to dark older zones.
Identification features
The underside has fine pale pores; there is no stem and the flesh is hard and woody.
Identification checklist
Check the entire fruitbody for identification. A hard perennial bracket with a distinctly zoned surface, often with a pale margin and orange-red to dark older zones. The underside has fine pale pores; there is no stem and the flesh is hard and woody. Typical habitat: On living and dead wood, especially conifers and often spruce; perennial fruitbodies can be seen throughout the year.
How to separate similar species
Compare especially with these similar species: Fomes fomentarius, Ganoderma applanatum, Fomitopsis betulina. Check the entire fruitbody, spore-bearing surface, stem, texture, changes after bruising and habitat. A single feature or photograph is not enough for reliable identification.
Habitat
On living and dead wood, especially conifers and often spruce; perennial fruitbodies can be seen throughout the year.
Fruiting period
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December