Cinnamon Bracket (Hapalopilus rutilans) Identification 

Cinnamon Bracket / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Toxic

The Cinnamon Bracket (Hapalopilus nidulans) is one of those mushrooms that stops you in your tracks during a woodland walk. Its warm, cinnamon-brown colour and soft, velvety texture make it stand out against the dull greys and greens of decaying wood. I remember the first time I spotted one—it looked almost edible, like something you might want to touch or even taste. But don’t be fooled! This bracket fungus is toxic and not to be meddled with, a rule of thumb I’ve often followed is that any polypore is same to put in your mouth, however there’s always one that likes to break our general rules, and this is one of them.

What’s fascinating about the Cinnamon Bracket is how it thrives on decaying hardwood, quietly playing its part in the forest ecosystem.

In this post, I’ll share how to identify this intriguing species, the role it plays in nature, and why it’s one to admire, not forage (unless you’re interested in dying with wild materials).


Scientific Name

Hapalopilus rutilans or Hapalopilus nidulans


Common Names

Cinnamon Bracket, Tender nesting polypore, Purple dye polypore


Family

Polyporaceae


Habitat

They are a saprobic species causing a white rot in its host. They grow on the fallen or standing dead wood of deciduous trees. It can fruit singly, in groups, fused, or in overlapping clusters. 


Identifying Features of the Cinnamon Bracket: 

To my knowledge the only toxic Polypore in the UK. They are quire distinctive and are used to make vivid purple dyes.


Cap:

The cap is fan-shaped to semicircular and grows to around 2–12 cm in diameter. It lacks a stalk, and is instead attached broadly to the substrate. They are initially soft and spongy, but become hard and brittle with age. The cap surface is covered with matted hairs, has shallow concentric furrows, and as the common name suggests they are a dull cinnamon brownish-orange colour. 

Henk Monster, CC BY 3.0 

Tubes or Pores:

The under surface is covered in tiny holes or pores. The pore surface is yellowish to brown, and the angular pores, will discolour pink to red when handled ( only on young specimens.)

Björn S…, CC BY-SA 2.0 

Smell:

No distinct smell.


Spores:

White.


Uses of the

Cinnamon Bracket

When an alkaline solution such as bleach is placed on the fungus, the flesh turns violet. The fungus is used in mushroom dyeing to produce purple colours hence the common name Purple dye Polypore.

Django Grootmyers, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Known hazards

They are toxic if ingested. The main toxin is polyporic acid, which causes nausea, impaired movement, visual impairment, liver and kidney failure. 

They also turn your urine temporarily bright purple!


Potential lookalikes for the Cinnamon Bracket

They could be confused with some other species for example a young Beefsteak Fungus (Fistulina hepatica), but Beefsteak fungus is red and will ‘bleed’ when damaged.

They could also perhaps be mistaken for Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) but the Chicken of the woods is yellow and the flesh has the texture of cooked chicken breast.


References:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hapalopilus_nidulans