fungi pic from to day

[Gollum]

Fistulina hepatica

Hand full of pics from root buttress on oak from today.

 

 

 

 

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Nice one bit dessicated but a goodun all the same

[Fungus]

Fistulina hepatica Hand full of pics from root buttress on oak from today.

 

Gollum,

Did you notice the poorly developed and probably sterile acorns and can this be interpreted as a sign of panic fruiting of the oak ? See : Sterile acorns.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Fungus

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Gerrit

It seems a bit self-defeating that the oak would produce infertile acorns in response to stress. Is this down to producing a heavy crop with limited resources or is there some other mechanism at work? Other than planting and waiting for the seeds to germinate (or not) is there any other way of telling whether the cones will be infertile?

 

Nice photos Gollum. Not a fungi I see very often.

[Fungus]

1. It seems a bit self-defeating that the oak would produce infertile acorns in response to stress. Is this down to producing a heavy crop with limited resources or is there some other mechanism at work?

2. Other than planting and waiting for the seeds to germinate (or not) is there any other way of telling whether the cones will be infertile?

 

1. See my post on sterile acorns.

2. Yes, by assessing the presence or absence of generalistic and/or tree species specific ectomycorrhizal macrofungi from the perspective of their successive places in the tree species specific life cycle.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

So such a response in trees is flawed? As producing a stress crop reaps no benefit. The tree would be better off producing less (but viable) seed?

[Fungus]

So such a response in trees is flawed? As producing a stress crop reaps no benefit. The tree would be better off producing less (but viable) seed?

 

After prolific blossoming as a stress or panic reaction triggered by the diminishing vitality of the tree, there's no way back, because the tree cannot contol the (re)dispersion of energy (and DNA) in the acorns formed after pollination of the flowers.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Very interesting Gerrit. I would like to read up on this.

Can you point me in the direction of some references please?

 

Thanks

[Fungus]

Very interesting. I would like to read up on this. Can you point me in the direction of some references ?

 

No, as the reference would be me and this information will be published on my dvd on MTA and the Tree Species Specific Ecosystem in 2012.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Sounds good.Could you PM me when this becomes available please?