Panic reproduction of macrofungi and trees

[Daniël Bos]

Hi Tony and Gerrit,

 

I too have a picture similar to that. The Beech in the foreground was felled (due to proximity to housing, road and security hut) due to the signs of the Meripilus. The tree in the background had no previous visible signs of FFBs until the front one was felled. Is this a panic reaction or am I looking too deep and this is natural progression for the fungi? :confused1:

 

 

Yes, this is an example of panic fruiting of the mycelium of Meripilus giganteus from a beech stump, that still has living tissues to support the decomposition of dead wood to produce FB's from by the mycelium, that has infected the tree in the background too through root-root contact and also fruits from this tree, because the mycelium "as a whole" is triggered to (panic) fruit simultaneously.

 

 

What would the implications of this be for the background tree?

Would the panic fruiting quickly try and use up as much of the trees reserves as it could find or would it settle down again after "realising" the background tree was still there/fine?

[Fungus]

What would the implications of this be for the background tree? Would the panic fruiting quickly try and use up as much of the trees reserves as it could find or would it settle down again after "realising" the background tree was still there/fine?

 

I expect your last suggestion to happen, but nothing as unpredictable as the future fruiting of an annual macrofungus .

[Fungus]

Yesterday I found this example of final (partially) sterile panic fruiting of Meripilus giganteus from a living root of a last year felled beech, of which the stump had completely been grinded with only wood chips remaining from which Coprinus lagopus fruited to the right.

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[ADB328]

 

Would this be panic fruiting by Armillaria? What is the mess up the stem? its not actual a HF fruiting body as such.

 

Also in the previous picture how can you tell if the fungi is sterile?

Edited January 15, 2012 by ADB328

[Fungus]

1. Would this be panic fruiting by Armillaria? What is the mess up the stem? its not actual a HF fruiting body as such.

2. Also in the previous picture how can you tell if the fungi is sterile?

 

1. Could be if the tree recently died. And the mess on the stem is resin produced by coniferous trees as a reaction to the presence (high up) in the stem of mycelium or rhizomorphs of the necrotrophic parasitic Armillaria, that killed the tree.

2. Because of the absence of tubes and spores.

[ADB328]

Thanks for getting back to me. The mess up the stem was almost like mycelium sheets externally rather than between the wood, im sure you understand what i mean.

 

It was really weird have never seen anything like it.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

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Would this be panic fruiting by Armillaria? What is the mess up the stem? its not actual a HF fruiting body as such.

 

Also in the previous picture how can you tell if the fungi is sterile?

 

I suspect lime (tillia) and as you elude panic reproduction of armillaria at late stage degradation, which is evident by the presence of what is most likely coniophora probably puteana, a common scenario on broad-leaf trees in the U.K.

 

I have only recently begun to connect and recognise this coniophora to trees I find, one that really requires microscopic clarification but ive seen enough of it now to realise what this one really is and it appears to thrive on the well rotted damp cambium/bark issues that arise from late stage armillaria attack.

[Fungus]

The mess up the stem was almost like mycelium sheets externally rather than between the wood, im sure you understand what i mean.

 

No, I don't, a close up would be welcome and is the tree not a coniferous species then ?

[ADB328]

No, I don't, a close up would be welcome and is the tree not a coniferous species then ?

 

Unfortunatly i didnt take any closer up photos than that which was silly. Nope not Conifer it was a monolith'd lime tree.