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The Red banded polypore (Fomitopsis pinicola) belongs to the family Fomitopsidaceae. It is a perennial fungus that is widely distributed throughout Japan, the Korean Peninsula, China, and the northern temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. It grows on the trunks and fallen logs of conifers such as Southern Japanese hemlock (Tsuga), Japanese black pine (matsu), and Japanese fir (momi) in mountain forests and mixed woodlands. It lacks a stem. The cap is initially a hemispherical ball about the size of a ping-pong ball, eventually developing into a low, semi-circular, conical shape. It continues to grow year after year, forming concentric rings. Giant specimens can reach 50 cm in diameter and over 20 cm in thickness. In Chinese, it is called "紅縁擬層孔菌" (hong yuan ni ceng kong jun).
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