Fomes fomentarius (Zunderschwamm)

The mushroom got its name thanks to its earlier use as a kindling aid. The tinder sponge was even used to make clothing and hats.

Fomes fomentarius usually grows on deciduous trees and is at home all over the world. Mostly it is poplar-birch, oak and beech. The fruit bodies are mostly black, slightly silvery on the underside. The tinder fungus prefers older trees and can live up to 30 years and reach a diameter of 10-60 cm.

This mushroom was already used as a medicinal product by the Indians, and Ötzi also had one with him.