Inonotus obliquus
The Mushroom that’s not a Mushroom
| Inonotus obliquus | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Division: | |
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| Species: | I. obliquus |
| Binomial name | |
| Inonotus obliquus | |
| Synonyms | |
Boletus obliquus Ach. ex Pers. (1801) | |
Inonotus Obliquus | |
|---|---|
 | smooth hymenium |
 | no distinct cap |
 | hymenium attachment is not applicable |
| lacks a stipe |
 | ecology is parasitic |
 | edibility: not recommended |
Inonotus obliquus, commonly known as chaga (a Latinisation of the Russian word чага), is a fungus in the family Hymenochaetaceae. It is parasitic on birch and other trees. The sterile conk is irregularly formed and has the appearance of burnt charcoal. It is not the fruiting body of the fungus, but a sclerotium or mass of mycelium, mostly black because of the presence of massive amounts of melanin. Some people consider chaga to be medicinal.
I. obliquus is found most commonly in the Circumboreal Region of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is distributed in birch forests.
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Russian ча́га (čága).
Noun
chaga (uncountable)
- A parasitic fungus of trees, usually birch, found on the circumboreal region of the Northern hemisphere, Inonotus obliquus.
- The irregular conk of this fungus, used in East European folk medicine to treat a number of conditions.
Synonyms
- (Inonotus obliquus): chaga mushroom
Translations
Further reading
- Inonotus obliquus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Inonotus obliquus on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
- Inonotus obliquus on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
