๐ฅThe July mushroom of the month is the ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ง๐ข๐ด๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด, commonly known as the Southern Clam Shell, a white rot fungi that grows in the Southeastern parts of North America and is a tinder conch and can be used to start fire.
๐ to Eldon for naming that mushroom correctly and becoming the newest member of Central Texas Mycology!
WHAT IS IT?
The Southern Clam Shell, Fomes fasciatus, is a pathogenic white rot polypore fungus that grows on hardwood trees in southeastern North America, South and Central America. It has also been documented in Australia and Asia. It has a hard outer shell shaped like a clam or hoof, earning it the nickname โhorse hoofโ fungus.
Traditional uses
The Southern Clam Shell has an interior trauma layer that can be harvested for tinder. The material, called Amadou, has been coveted since ancient times for its ability to start fires quickly even in inclement condi-tions. Otzi, the famous 5,300 year old mummy found frozen in the alps, was carrying Fomes fomentarius, the northern relative of the Southern Clam Shell, when he died.
FUTURE USES
Fomes fasciatus has also been researched as a potential cheap biosorbent of heavy metals due to its common occurrence and lack of current economic use. The research evaluated the dried and pulverized fruiting bodies ability to absorb Cu II (copper compounds) commonly found in wastewater and found that treating the prepared fungi with hot-alkali improved its sorbent properties.