Willow Bracket

Phellinus igniarius

On living and dead deciduous trees, rarely on conifers. Spring, summer, autumn (winter).

A perennial fungus. Fruiting bodies up to 25 cm across, shaped like a horse's hoof (sometimes knob-like or irregular), woody, hard, firmly attached to the tree by the edge. Surface smooth, with narrow concentric grooves, cracked, matt or glossy, blackish-brown or even black. Tubes multi-layered, 3–5 mm long, pores round, small, yellowish-brown, covered with a greyish bloom. Flesh hard, woody, up to 2 cm thick. Grows singly or in small groups in forests, parks and gardens on living and dead trees. Causes a white or yellowish rot of the wood. Very common.

Similar to it is the aspen bracket (P. tremulae), which grows only on living aspens. It causes a whitish or yellowish rot of the wood. Both these fungi cause much damage.