A LIVING HISTORY BLOG.

18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Tinder Fungus For Flint & Steel Fire Lighting.

Ryvardenia Cretaceu on a Stringybark tree

Large Ryvardenia Cretaceu













Fomes Fomentarius











Cut-away view of Fomes Fomentarius showing the Amadou inside.






Amadou.
Tinder Fungus.

Australia: Ryvardenia cretacea ( formerly known as Piptoporus Cretaceous). This bracket fungus grows on the trunks of trees anywhere from the ground up. The fungus itself requires charring before it can be used as tinder, but the resulting fungus dust caused by a fungus beetle will catch a spark as is.
http://zipcodezoo.com/Fungi/R/Ryvardenia_cretacea/Default.asp

Northern Hemisphere: Fomes Fomentarius.(also known as hoof fungus or horse hoof fungus). This fungus also grows on the trunks of trees and contains a tinder known as Amadou. To remove the Amadou the outer hard shell of this fungus must be removed. Some say that once dry this Amadou will catch a spark as is, others say it requires soaking in a mixture of water and saltpetre. In the 18th century this tinder was sold on the streets and at the apothecary.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomes_fomentarius
http://www.first-nature.com/fungi/id_guide/Poriales/fomes_fomentarius.htm
Primitive Fire Lighting-Flint & Steel, By Keith H. Burgess (Author of this Blog).

Knowing the correct name of a plant or animal is not as important as knowing what it looks like!

1 comment:

PaoloinUAE said...

Indeed the Fomes Fomentarius' Amadou once dried catches a spark as it is. The soaking with Salpeter solution enhances the spark catching properties.