Another Ustulina/K. deusta on Syc.

[Graham]

We seem to have had a spate of fells recently involving Ustulina infected sycamore. Almost to the point that I'm travelling round tuned into the base of every syc I see:001_smile:

 

 

 

[Giles Hill]

Nice pictures Graham, was the tree felled on the basis of any other VTA, or was it just the presence of the Ustulina?

[David Humphries]

Great post Graham.

 

Wonder if the evident psuedosclaratial plates are indicative of a. n. other fungi competing against the Ustulina?

 

Really good shots

 

 

 

 

 

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[Graham]

Tree was situated on a raised area bounded by a low retaining wall. There was evidence of root damage caused by the construction of the wall (1990 evidently) and severe dieback in the right-hand stem shown in the photo.

 

It was on the entrance to residential flats and a public car park.

 

[Graham]

Great post Graham.

 

Wonder if the evident psuedosclaratial plates are indicative of a. n. other fungi competing against the Ustulina?

 

Really good shots

 

 

 

 

 

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That I don't know. Certainly in the fells we've done recently there hasn't been any visual signs of other fungi evident. ie fruiting bodies but they have all had one thing in common; visual root damage or soil disturbance around the root plates.

[Giles Hill]

David, which bit are you calling 'psuedosclaratial plates'? I just googled that term and the only thing that came up was one of your posts from last year!

[Paul Barton]

Technical terms for the black lines/spalting effect.

[Giles Hill]

Thanks Paul.

 

I've just found mention of this in my Lonsdale book.

 

It sounds like a kind of CODIT activated by and for the benefit of the fungi, rather than the tree?

[David Kaley]

Thanks for posting this, this image has been really useful. The black demarcation lines in the wood are comprised of melanin. These are produced by the fungus, which through the activity of phenolaxidases converts the xylem into melanin. This maintains suitable conditions for the fungus, such as moisture content.

[sloth]

Thanks for posting this, this image has been really useful. The black demarcation lines in the wood are comprised of melanin. These are produced by the fungus, which through the activity of phenolaxidases converts the xylem into melanin. This maintains suitable conditions for the fungus, such as moisture content.

 

I was under the impression that only Armillaria has plates of melanine, and that those of, for example, Kretzchmaria consist of other compounds? Also, is it only the xylem that is converted to melanin? If so which constituent of it, and why not other wood cells? Where's Gerrit!