Keizer's Fungi Q & A.

[Fungus]

1. I had assumed/read that Meripulus was a basal/root decay & that it was not thought to ingress up the trunk.

2. Obviously the heavy topping stabilised the Tree.

3. The Picus did not pick up on any decay up the trunk (at the time), and the airspading did not show significant decay in the lateral roots which were uncovered.

 

This Beech has had Meripulus fruiting for around ten years.

Picus was in '06

Reduction was in '06

Airspade was in '08

& last shot was last year.

 

David,

 

1. After 12 years ago looking up the trunk of a still standing and living old beech, of which the crown was cut off completely, and spotting a gigantic cluster of Meripilus giganteus on top of the horizontal saw cut surface at 8 metres high, I was no longer convinced of the truth of this unjustified "belief" and started inspecting the saw cuts on trunks of felled beeches, which only had been affected by Meripilus, fruiting at the base. Until now I have documented four other cases of the same phenomenon, the last one being the beech I discussed before and show another two photo's of. So although it still is a very rare phenomenon, it certainly is a finding to take serious in dealing with old beeches attacked by Meripilus.

 

2. I'm sure it did, but it probably also caused the dying and decay (by the already present mycelium of Meripilus or the rhizomorphs of a (parasitic) Armillaria species) of the lateral roots corresponding with the heavily topped braches, probably triggering the formation of compensating secondary roots around the base, being colonized by the ectomycorrhizae of Laccaria amethystina, which temporarely "extra nourished" the foliage, triggering reproduction as an "offspring survival strategy" of the severely damaged tree, as I described before. So did you (recently) check the formation of secondary roots from the base of the tree and the presence of L. amethystina within a circle of halve a metre around the base of the tree in autumn ? My prediction would be, that by now or in the near future Meripilus has for some time gone or will temporarely go "underground" and with resurfacing will indicate the nearness of the collapse of the tree.

 

3. I am not surprised, as I had some experiences with Picus measurements not showing existing heart rot by Meripilus or Ganoderma australe, the most dramatic being the Anne Frank tree (Aesculus) in Amsterdam, which even though 17 small and big perennial brackets of G. australe were present, after two Picus measurements was diagnosed being safe - provided the tree was scaffolded with a supportive metal frame - by five tree specialists, including Neville Fay, who stated, that the tree at least would live for another ten to fifteen years and probably would survive us all .

And in my opinion, airspading and uncovering the upper side of lateral roots of a beech attacked by Meripilus does not bring much, because the mycelium attacks and follows the lower or down side of the roots from the (damaged) tip up to the base of the trunk, where it often fruits for the first time.

 

Photo 1. Cut through the trunk of the beech at 6 metres hight showing heart rot and a vertical crack.

Photo 2. Cut through the onset of the lower major branch where the branch was attached to the trunk showing infiltration and central heart rot with darkening decoloration (the black stuff is oil from the chain saw).

[sean]

These appear from an old wound at approx1.5m height on a beech......For the last two years they have fruited twice a year....late spring and then again sept/oct. My feeling was Pholiota Aurivella.....is it unusual fro a second fruiting? And secondly the tree is located close to a road and footpath.......what reccommendations/advice would you give for management of the tree.?

 

Many thanks.

 

Sean

[David Humphries]

David,

Just as the black melanine layer surrounding a shoe string resembling rhizomorph does, a melanine sheet or layer (not plate, sorry for my poor English) covers the vulnerable white hyphae of an Armillaria species colonizing the surface of the (heart) wood (on the inside) of a tree trunk cavity and protects it from soil acids or "vinegar" acids secreted by Quercus robur (and Castanea sativa) and attacks of insects, bacteria and/or microfungi.

 

 

 

Thanks Gerrit, that is very clear

 

 

.

[Fungus]

These appear from an old wound at approx1.5m height on a beech......For the last two years they have fruited twice a year....late spring and then again sept/oct. My feeling was Pholiota Aurivella.....is it unusual fro a second fruiting? And secondly the tree is located close to a road and footpath.......what reccommendations/advice would you give for management of the tree.?

 

Sean,

Correct : Pholiota aurivella. Twice fruiting a year is, depending on the circumstances (rain, wind), not uncommon for a Pholiota fruiting from moist cavities inside the trunk. You can see the same phenomenon f.i. also with Polyporus squamosus.

Concerning the management of the beech, inspection of the depth and hight of the cavity and of the wall of intact wood surrounding it will not be a problem at this hight, so monitoring the damage and risk at regular intervals will suffice. As long as the year rings of the wall of intact wood surrounding the cavity are thick and stable enough to withhold the trunk from breaking, there will be no danger of falling.

And a final question in return. Is the tree at this level still repairing and overgrowing the wound with callus and bark or is the mycelium in producing toxics to prevent this more succesful in keeping the center of the wound open ?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

so, colybia fusipes? cause of root degradation or not? in my wood this is an increasing occurrence, I seem to remember seeing a small unformed fistulina 3ft up from base on trunk.

 

the tree is Q robur.

[Fungus]

so, collybia fusipes? cause of root degradation or not? in my wood this is an increasing occurrence, I seem to remember seeing a small unformed fistulina 3ft up from base on trunk.

the tree is Q robur.

 

Tony,

Looks like it, I've often seen similar root and trunk base decay caused by C. fusipes in Q. robur and Carpinus forests in the Eifel, where I, until last year, lived for 8 years, but without fruiting 100 % proof is missing.

[Dave D]

welcome to the site gerrit, and thanks in advance for your input.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Tony,

Looks like it, without fruiting 100 % proof is missing.

 

[Fungus]

 

Are you sure it's not dogshit your pointing at ?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Are you sure it's not dogpoo your pointing at ?

 

OHHHHH! you naughty boy!

 

I love it, your definately one of "the crew now" I like the mattheck;ism the other day too regarding the sneaky Ba.....ds (laetiporus!)

 

and yes im sure you cheeky monkey:thumbup: