Chaga?! (Full Version)

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WinsomeDefiance -> Chaga?! (4/17/2015 10:22:45 AM)

So, last year I started identifying edible, medicinal and otherwise useful plants along the trails, lakes and rivers while out on my bike rides. Today I went looking for Chaga. I had to go off trail and got a little dirty but I'm pretty sure I found it growing on a fallen birch tree. Can anyone who knows what it is verify or give a good guess that I'm correct? It is pretty distinctive and easily identified so I'm pretty confident that it is Chaga. Besides, I wanted to show off my fungus. 😜



WinsomeDefiance -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 10:24:20 AM)

Bah. Image is too large to upload and I don't know how to resize on my phone.



ExiledTyrant -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 10:25:08 AM)

http://www.chagaknowledge.com/chagabenefits.htm



WinsomeDefiance -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 10:27:40 AM)

I think I got it to work!

[image]local://upfiles/470251/0205B344700F4D2BBC4876F76F070052.jpg[/image]



WinsomeDefiance -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 10:31:24 AM)

To be honest I was looking for it more for tinder to make a campfire while camping but if I was certain it was identified correctly I'd like to try it out as a tea. It is supposed to be crazy dense with nutrition.



mnottertail -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 10:35:56 AM)

https://www.google.com/search?q=chaga+pictures&rlz=1C1KMZB_enUS510US510&es_sm=93&biw=960&bih=482&tbm=isch&imgil=A-wszv2AXCiPiM%253A%253BxjMMhWADc8fYcM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%25252Fpaul-stamets%25252Fchaga-mushroom_b_1974571.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=A-wszv2AXCiPiM%253A%252CxjMMhWADc8fYcM%252C_&usg=__I4iUH_linlgczhr3cmIwqSPZpoE%3D&ved=0CDcQyjc&ei=XUQxVZnJDZPhsATxuYCADQ#imgrc=A-wszv2AXCiPiM%253A%3BxjMMhWADc8fYcM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages.huffingtonpost.com%252F2012-10-17-Chaga.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%252Fpaul-stamets%252Fchaga-mushroom_b_1974571.html%3B550%3B413

what you have there looks like a shelf fungus.



mnottertail -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 10:38:33 AM)

http://mushroom-collecting.com/mushroomchaga.html

it looks like a clinker in a coal fire (hence its nick)



WinsomeDefiance -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 10:49:50 AM)

Shelf fungus (like chicken of the woods) is fleshy and soft. This stuff is hard like wood or cork.



mnottertail -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 10:55:23 AM)

https://www.google.com/search?q=shelf+fungus+species&sa=X&rlz=1C1KMZB_enUS510US510&es_sm=93&biw=960&bih=482&tbm=isch&imgil=JC6ervUcwQ6PkM%253A%253BBoB328HV691aUM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.sfu.ca%25252Fhalk-ethnobiology%25252Fhtml%25252Fplants%25252Fbracketfungus.htm&source=iu&pf=m&fir=JC6ervUcwQ6PkM%253A%252CBoB328HV691aUM%252C_&usg=__Va0hij_DczSdYUa2O2J7bPGR3KE%3D&ved=0CDoQyjc&ei=dEgxVanQBNHHsQT9vIGAAg#imgdii=JC6ervUcwQ6PkM%3A%3BJC6ervUcwQ6PkM%3A%3BqC1ipx0_H27J2M%3A&imgrc=JC6ervUcwQ6PkM%253A%3BBoB328HV691aUM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sfu.ca%252Fhalk-ethnobiology%252Fgraphics%252Fplants%252Fbig_bracketfungus.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sfu.ca%252Fhalk-ethnobiology%252Fhtml%252Fplants%252Fbracketfungus.htm%3B360%3B240

This is a shelf fungus that looks close, bracket fungi are shelf fungi (I believe) dont have my book handy. many are hard outers:

https://www.google.com/search?q=shelf+fungus+species&sa=X&rlz=1C1KMZB_enUS510US510&es_sm=93&biw=960&bih=482&tbm=isch&imgil=JC6ervUcwQ6PkM%253A%253BBoB328HV691aUM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.sfu.ca%25252Fhalk-ethnobiology%25252Fhtml%25252Fplants%25252Fbracketfungus.htm&source=iu&pf=m&fir=JC6ervUcwQ6PkM%253A%252CBoB328HV691aUM%252C_&usg=__Va0hij_DczSdYUa2O2J7bPGR3KE%3D&ved=0CDoQyjc&ei=dEgxVanQBNHHsQT9vIGAAg#imgrc=JC6ervUcwQ6PkM%253A%3BBoB328HV691aUM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sfu.ca%252Fhalk-ethnobiology%252Fgraphics%252Fplants%252Fbig_bracketfungus.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sfu.ca%252Fhalk-ethnobiology%252Fhtml%252Fplants%252Fbracketfungus.htm%3B360%3B240



WinsomeDefiance -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 11:25:01 AM)

Hmm. I'm gonna take it home and see if it works as tinder and if it does I'll still be happy😛



mnottertail -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 11:27:27 AM)

the paper from the birch will work better.



WinsomeDefiance -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 12:07:31 PM)

Ha! That did occur to me. We shall see. Nothing ventured and all that.



igor2003 -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 12:59:05 PM)

If you go to YouTube and enter "chaga" in the YT search engine you will get a whole bunch of videos about the subject. I'm not sure exactly what information would be most helpful to you, but this video looked to be very informative and interesting, though there were many more to choose from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q2dGq6tISc



WinsomeDefiance -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 1:48:18 PM)

Thanks. That was a lot of interesting things about Chaga. Especially useful to me because I have an auto-immune/connective tissue disease and it sounds like it would be an excellent anti-inflammatory. I knew it had a bunch of health benefits but that video explained the chemistry behind it which I found fascinating.



DesFIP -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 7:27:36 PM)

Around here, the Ag Cooperative Extension program includes people who run classes in identifying wild plants. If you have an Ag agent nearby, they might agree to identify this for you.



WinsomeDefiance -> RE: Chaga?! (4/17/2015 8:02:41 PM)

Awesome i'll look into that thanks



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