About Fomitopsis ochracea Ryvarden & Stokland
Fomitopsis ochracea Ryvarden & Stokland is a fungus that can be hoof-shaped or flattened in a fan-like form. It can grow quite large, reaching up to 20 cm wide and 7 cm thick. The top surface of the fungus is smooth, and can be coloured white, grey, brown, or black, marked with parallel lines. Black or brown spotting may also appear on this surface. The underside is creamy-white, with evenly shaped round pores, and can turn orange as the fungus ages. When broken open, the inner context is woody, creamy-white in colour, and lacks any distinct internal bands. No visible bruising occurs after breaking the fungus open. There are roughly 5 to 6 pores per millimetre, and the fungus can give off a faint sweet odour. Historically, Fomitopsis ochracea has been misidentified as Fomitopsis pinicola. The two species look very similar when immature, but can be told apart with a simple heat test: holding a lit match next to the fungus surface will cause F. pinicola to boil and melt, while F. ochracea will not. If a heat test cannot be done, a bruise test can also distinguish the two species: F. pinicola bruises yellow when broken open, while F. ochracea does not bruise at all.
