Inonotus Obliquus, Commonly Known As Chaga Mushroom A Latinisation Of The Russian Term `чага`, Is A Fungus In The Family Hymenochaetaceae. It Is Parasitic On Birch And Other Trees, Usually Appearing After The Host Tree Is Dead. The Sterile Conk Is Irregularly Formed And Has The Appearance Of Burnt Charcoal. It Is Not The Fruiting Body Of The Fungus, But A Sclerotium Or Mass Of Mycelium, Mostly Black Because Of The Presence Of Massive Amounts Of Melanin.rnrni. Obliquus Is Found Most Commonly In The Circumboreal Region Of The Northern Hemisphere Where It Is Distributed In Birch Forests

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amounts appearance appearing birch black body burnt chaga charcoal circumboreal commonly conk dead distributed family forests formed found fruiting fungus hemisphere host hymenoc hymenochaetaceae inonotus irregularly known latinisation mass massive melaninnni mostly mushroom mycelium northern obliquus parasitic presence region russian sclerotium sterile term tree trees usually