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The Cinnamon Bracket, scientifically known as Hapalopilus rutilans, is a wood-decaying fungus that is commonly found on dead deciduous trees. It is characterized by its vibrant cinnamon color and bracket-like shape. While not considered poisonous, it is inedible due to its tough texture and bitter taste.
How to Identify
- Cap
- The cap is bracket-shaped, typically 2-10 cm wide, with a reddish-brown to cinnamon color. The surface is finely velvety when young, becoming smoother with age.
- Gills
- No gills; this fungus has pores on the underside of the cap.
- Stem
- Absent; the fruiting body is sessile (attaches directly to the wood).
- Flesh
- The flesh is soft and spongy when fresh, becoming harder and more brittle when dry. It has a distinct cinnamon color.
- Fruiting body
- The fruiting body is a bracket-like structure that grows directly out of the wood. It is typically semicircular or kidney-shaped.
- Habitat
- Grows on dead or decaying deciduous trees, especially broadleaf trees like oak and beech.
Key Facts
- Cap surfaces: Finely velvety when young, smoother with age
- Growth Form: Bracket-like
- Spore Print: White to pale yellow
- Body color: Reddish-brown to cinnamon
- Odor: Faintly fruity or fungal
- Flesh bruises: No significant bruising reaction
- Height: 1-3 cm thick
- Cap Diameter: 2-10 cm
- Nutrient gathering: Saprobic
Safe
SafeNot considered poisonous, but it is inedible due to its tough texture and bitter taste.
Quick Check
- Odor: Faintly fruity or fungal
- Fruiting: Year-round, but most common in fall
- Substrate: Dead deciduous wood
Where to Find
Deciduous Forests
Prefers dead or decaying deciduous trees, especially broadleaf trees like oak and beech.
Wooded Areas
Commonly found in wooded areas where there is an abundance of dead wood.
Finding Tips
Visual Inspection
Look for bracket-shaped fungi with a reddish-brown to cinnamon color on dead trees.
Examine Dead Wood
Check for the presence of the fungus on fallen logs and branches in wooded areas.
Similar Species
Trametes versicolor
Bracket fungus
Also known as: Turkey Tail
Scientific Classification
- Phylum
- Basidiomycota
- Class
- Agaricomycetes
- Order
- Polyporales
- Family
- Hapalopilaceae
- Genus
- Hapalopilus
Storage Information
- Max Temperature: N/A
- Freezing duration: N/A
- Min Temperature: N/A
- Refrigeration: N/A
How to Clean
Not applicable as this mushroom is inedible.
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