unidentified fungi?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Fungus, this fungi is sticky, the black layer, it has an almost honey like ooze about it, im very familiar with cuticularis, and have suspected nodulosus for some time, especialy as in the three occasions ive seen this particular fungi it has been on very old growth beech and in ancient woodlands.

 

I am happier with I. nodulosus than the other two options it certainly was the way I was going with it anyways, thank you again for your help and generosity with your valued time.

[Fungus]

Fungus, this fungi is sticky, the black layer, it has an almost honey like ooze about it, im very familiar with cuticularis, and have suspected nodulosus for some time.

I am happier with I. nodulosus than the other two options it certainly was the way I was going with it anyways

 

Tony,

I have never found the saprotrophic I. nodulosus on wounds of living beeches still standing up, only on the vertical saw cuts of felled beeches laying down. In my experience, the mildly parasitic and saprotrophic I. cuticularis always grows on extensive wounds of standing living beeches with its mycelium penetrating the cambium at the sides of the wound and stops producing fruitbodies once the tree has died. In The Netherlands, I. cuticularis sometimes is followed by Hericium coralloides, which mycelium lives from the wood, that already has been "pre-prepared" by the mycelium of I. cuticularis.

Gerrit

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Tony,

I have never found the saprotrophic I. nodulosus on wounds of living beeches still standing up, only on the vertical saw cuts of felled beeches laying down. In my experience, the mildly parasitic and saprotrophic I. cuticularis always grows on extensive wounds of standing living beeches with its mycelium penetrating the cambium at the sides of the wound and stops producing fruitbodies once the tree has died. In The Netherlands, I. cuticularis sometimes is followed by Hericium coralloides, which mycelium lives from the wood, that already has been "pre-prepared" by the mycelium of I. cuticularis.

Gerrit

 

argh, this now gets into very interesting territory! I have observed certain dominences within habitats, Burnham beeches is a site that is very heavily colonised by cuticularis, never have i seen this bracket posted in that environment, but corraloides as you point out is VERY prevalent! you are a legend:rock:

 

Ive waited a long time to talk to a mycologist with your level of knowledge, cuticularis also in my experience is found with heavy black "ooze" from the wounds, as is seen from this bracket, BUT cuticularis is a very soft bracket, and very annual in nature, this one has a very tough character and in one find it was a substantial lump. I also havent found corraloides in the same habitats as this bracket, not to say they are not there though, i did find H. cirrhatus in one of these woods

[Fungus]

cuticularis also in my experience is found with heavy black "ooze" from the wounds, as is seen from this bracket, BUT cuticularis is a very soft bracket, and very annual in nature, this one has a very tough character and in one find it was a substantial lump.

 

Tony,

The black "ooze" comes from the cambium, which is under attack of the toxins produced by the mycelium. Parasitic Inonotus species (and Fomitopsis pinicola) have a strategy of "pumping out" fluid from the cambium and (starch rich) radial rays, which they temporarely store in and secrete from their fruitbodies (guttation) and "pumping in" toxic enzymes, which are more effective because of the enhightened concentration after the withdrawal of water.

And did you consider I. hispidus, which also can be found on beech ?

Gerrit

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Tony,

The black "ooze" comes from the cambium, which is under attack of the toxins produced by the mycelium. Parasitic Inonotus species (and Fomitopsis pinicola) have a strategy of "pumping out" fluid from the cambium and (starch rich) radial rays, which they temporarely store in and secrete from their fruitbodies (guttation) and "pumping in" toxic enzymes, which are more effective because of the enhightened concentration after the withdrawal of water.

And did you consider I. hispidus, which also can be found on beech ?

Gerrit

 

fascinating stuff! so that explains "guttation drops" too? is that the correct term for this pumping?

 

Hispidus it aint, thats one fungi i know as well as cuticularius. I have a chunk from this body, and it has dried hard as nails its in the loft, i shall dig it out and photgraph it:thumbup1: