Hamadryads fungus diary

[David Humphries]

Good nod Tony, will check our aurivella sites

 

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

There isnt too much going on at the moment, at least not above ground!

 

But i re visited the Panus tigrinus site today and took these shots, and found a nice bit of Laetiporus sulphureus at BB on an Oak, as well as some D. confrogosa blushing rather well i might add.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mark Cattell]

Laetiporos sulphureus on oak...

[chris cnc]

thats a big chicken!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

http://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/files/ENGLISH_NAMES.pdf

 

Current list of Latin and the recommended english names for each.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Auricularia mesenterica

 

 

ALERT!!!

 

It takes time to truly know a fungi intimately, encounter them enough times in enough scenarios and one can in time build a good picture and today i think i ought to share some pretty important findings regarding this rather nasty little rotter.

 

After trawling the WWW for more info only our very own monkey D's site lists this as parasitic white rot! (kiezer no doubt!) I must get this book!

My findings over the last two weeks have been suprising to say the least as this fungus is not mentioned in any of the major works on the subject of wood decay or fungal strategies!

A. mesenterica in my "codscience" opinion is a very aggresive wound parasite causing an intense white rot of the entire heartwood volume within the barrier zone (sharon 1973) wall 4 (shigo)

It appears to infect cambium wounds i.e damaged bark from a failed limb, or more specificaly through sunscald which appears to be the most prominant feature amoung the beeches I've witnessed infected by A. mesenterica.

 

Wall 1 is rapidly penetrated and long strips of necroses result, tracing back via the vascular system, often characterised by a helical pattern, which could be confused with torsional fracture. (an important feature)

 

wall 3 appears to hold off the spread lateraly for some time, but its rapid spread through tyloses means eventualy, once the pith core has been breached the entire wood volume is accsesd and only wall 4 is then effective.

 

Once the pithy core has been breached the fungus rapidly colonises the entire woody volume and at late stages limbs become completley hollowed out and eventualy limb loss via hosepipe kinking, due to hollow limbs. Occlusions on any stem necroses will be evident by this stage.

 

It may appear to be a cambium or surface issue, but its ability and strength defies its small pressence.

 

Do not underestimate this one guys!

Edited June 1, 2010 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[David Humphries]

Very interesting post Tony.

 

 

Though, "TreeFung-ous" has it down as a Saprophyte, not Parasitic White Rot.

 

Maybe you mis read from the line above, on the info list.

 

Get ya glasses on old boy

 

treefung-ous

 

 

Keizer has it listed as (pa) Sa, which I understand as being weakly parasitic.

 

 

Nevertheless, some very useful observations there T

 

 

 

 

.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Defo more than a weak parasite David, and your more than welcome for a visit here, these beeches are well and truly being nailed by this little crustose fungi

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Not much going on, but being me i see it all, even the little bits. Got a shot worth posting now the pholiotas are at the over and done stage, usefull late ident feature.

 

Got a nice ariel shot of trametes versicolour feeding on a hung up dead branch too which makes a nice change, along with a shot of daldinia concentrica some 70ft up on a beech branch, a rather healthy ball too, good and fat, well fed and fruiting like a beauty!

 

and lastly a nice golden Lichen that caught my eye:thumbup: getting a little into these now! oh no, not ANOTHER OCD quest!

 

 

 

 

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Youll like this one, Ive seen it mislabbeled elswhere in the forum, but now I have a clear set of images to illustrate the differences between these two almost identical fungi.

 

Polyporus tuberaster distinguished visualy by its usualy smaller size and most importantly centralised stipe. yeah bet you all thought it was squamosus! lol

 

 

Colybia fusipes (the spindle shank) nice example too, devouring a young oak of about 50cm DBH and fully encircling the butt, so this trees not long for this world me thinks, though currently looking happy as larry:001_huh: