Fomes inzengae is a perennial, hoof-shaped bracket fungus long treated as a synonym of the tinder conk, Fomes fomentarius. Molecular, morphological and physiological work in 2019 showed that a lineage first recognised from Mediterranean oaks is a separate species, and the old name Polyporus inzengae was reinstated for it. In the field it looks almost identical to F. fomentarius, and reliable identification depends on DNA or microscopy.
Not edible: the fruitbody is woody. Like F. fomentarius s.l., it belongs to the group of tinder conks historically used to make amadou, but there is no evidence of food use.
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Habitat
White-rot wood decayer on broadleaf trees (and occasionally Abies). A 2025 review of 139 European records lists 18 host genera, including Quercus, Populus, Salix, Acer, Fraxinus, Juglans, Olea, Platanus, Tilia and Fagus. F. fomentarius s.str., by contrast, mainly colonises beech and birch; Acer, Alnus, Betula, Fagus and Populus are shared hosts.
Distribution
Europe: recorded almost throughout, without clear geographic separation from F. fomentarius s.str. It was first delimited from Mediterranean material. Records from other continents need molecular confirmation and were not verified here.
Characteristics
Fruitbody: perennial, hoof-shaped (ungulate) bracket with a hard, zonate, grey to brownish crust, very similar to F. fomentarius. Distinguishing traits: ITS sequence, pore size, basidiospore size and skeletal hypha diameter separate it from F. fomentarius; growth rate and temperature range in culture also differ. Host is a useful clue (see habitat).
