How to identify Red-belt Conk

To correctly identify Red-belt Conk (Fomitopsis pinicola), check each of these features in order. Misidentification is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning, so cross-reference multiple sources.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Cap

   Shape, color, surface texture, and diameter.

   The upper surface is smooth to bumpy, with concentric furrows and ridges. The color varies from pale yellow or orange when young to reddish-brown, dark brown, or almost black with age. A characteristic reddish-brown band is often present along the outer margin, especially in actively growing specimens. The margin is typically rounded and lighter in color.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Absent. Fomitopsis pinicola is a polypore, meaning it has pores instead of gills. The pore surface is whitish to yellowish, bruising brown when handled. Pores are small and round, numbering 4-6 per millimeter.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   Absent. The fruit body is sessile, attaching directly to the wood.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   The flesh (context) is yellowish to light brown, corky to woody, and lacks a distinctive odor or taste.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   The fruit body is a perennial, shelf-like bracket, typically 5-40 cm wide, 3-20 cm deep, and 2-10 cm thick. It is hard and woody.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Primarily found on dead or dying coniferous wood, especially pine, spruce, and fir. It can also occur on hardwoods. Fomitopsis pinicola causes a brown rot, weakening the wood. It's found in forests throughout the northern hemisphere.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Smooth to bumpy, with concentric furrows and ridges.

Growth Form

Bracket/Shelf

Spore Print

White to yellowish.

Body color

Variable: Pale yellow/orange when young to reddish-brown, dark brown, or almost black with age.

Odor

Indistinct or slightly fungal.

Flesh bruises

Pore surface bruises brown when handled.

Height

2-10 cm thick

Cap Diameter

5-40 cm wide, 3-20 cm deep

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Absent (pores present).
• Stem shape: Absent.
• Stem surface: N/A.
• Ring: Absent.
• Stem cross-section: N/A.

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