A really bizarre fungus...

[daltontrees]

Has anyone ever seen one of these before? A firm black nodule about 4 cm long found on the edge of an open cavity on the base of a hollowed out Rowan, I popped it open and took these pics while it was fresh. I don't think it had anything to do with the demise of the Rowan, which has subsequently been taken down, but I am curious about it anyway. There was only one such lump. Attached by the knob at the end. Is it something really obvious liek teh first year of a Daldinia concentrica? That black fringe was glistening like jet when I first opened the thing.

[Matthew Arnold]

Dead man's Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha)

[daltontrees]

Thanks, you are dead right/put your finger on it etc. har har. I had heard of it but never seen it, but will never get it wrong again. Internet says sapropic as I thought, nothing to do with the poor Rowan being hollow. Cheers!

[Jamespepperpot]

Can someone help me ID this one please?

 

Had a look on the 'Wild about Britain' A-Z and couldnt find it although I was going through them quite fast.

[David Humphries]

Can someone help me ID this one please?

 

Had a look on the 'Wild about Britain' A-Z and couldnt find it although I was going through them quite fast.

 

I would have thought these are possibly forming Ganoderma lucidum

 

 

.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I would have thought these are possibly forming Ganoderma lucidum

 

 

.

 

and have had their bulb snapped off:thumbdown:

[Matthew Arnold]

Thanks, you are dead right/put your finger on it etc. har har. I had heard of it but never seen it, but will never get it wrong again. Internet says sapropic as I thought, nothing to do with the poor Rowan being hollow. Cheers!

 

I recognised it straight away as we have a very ill Sycamore (soon to reduced by 10%) with Honey fungus on one side and Dead mans fingers chewing through the dysfunctional roots.

[clima]

I recognised it straight away as we have a very ill Sycamore (soon to reduced by 10%) with Honey fungus on one side and Dead mans fingers chewing through the dysfunctional roots.

 

Resurrection of an older thread but I looked at a very mature sycamore today of which the owner wishes to retain although it has two huge limbs almost overhanging a cottage nearby. Basically the tree will require at least a percentage of reduction in any case but at the base there are several growths of xylaria/ dead mans fingers.The roots and basal section of this affected area are ..as expected...very poor,rotted,hollowed. At the opposite side of the main stem where the huge limbs are situated,the wood is solid.My concern is that the tree may fall towards the cottage sooner rather than later without significant reduction taking place of which the owner is resisting.What is the experience any of you have had where xylaria are present? It is sacrobic I am aware, but would it act as a catalyst in the demise of the tree? The owner is in need of some convincing to undertake the work,I would like to be able to correctly suggest the effect the xylaria may have but have only seen it on dead stumps and branches up to now.As I know the people who live in the cottage it would be good to leave the owner more informed.He has estate workers who will deal with work on the tree.This question is more out of personal interest/learning.

[daltontrees]

As I came across X. polymorpha for teh first time last year, I can't claim any expertise. And I guess you are just asking about polymorpha rahter than other xylaria such as the very common hypoxolon?

Anyway, if it is only saprobic, the question might be not what effect it is having on loss of tensile strength but what's killing the wood and what effect is that having on strength? Is it acting more quickly than Xylaria?

Based purely on book knowledge I would be surprised and interested to hear of X. polymorpha is capable on its own of hollowing in an anaerobic heartwood/ripewood environment. And if something more aggressive is doing that to your Sycamore, would it not chemically exclude other fungi, such that it couldn't act as a catalyst in the strict chemical sense? For it to catalyse it would need to precede of coincide with the advance of another decay mechanism.

Sorry, that's probably not what you meant by catalyst. Whatever you meant, I wonder if your clients think the Sycamore is going to buck the trend and cure itself. In my experience things, having reached a point of being a identifieable problem, only ever get worse. Then it is a matter of when the quantified extent of the decay makes the loss of strength an unacceptable risk to the occupiers. Over to the Mathecks of this world to answer that one...

[clima]

Thanks for the reply Dalton, much appreciated.

I guess I was using the word"catalyst" in its general form but nevertheless it has relevance in the chemical sense also.The main fact is that having seen the xylaria on what is certainly dysfunctional wood,and that being a serious risk in itself given that this tree is big enough to cause significant damage in a failure/falling onto a building,then any organism which has caused the initial decay has had many years to develop,has caused extensive hollowing of the basal area of the main stem,is likely still doing its thing but there is a sufficient amount of strong/reasonably healthy wood at the opposite side of the stem to keep this tree standing......for now....in my not so extensive experience/opinion,the tree is likely to fall sooner rather than later and the removal,or should I say natural removal of 2 mature plane trees adjacent to this sycamore has left it newly exposed to prevailing wind which is in this case straight off the sea 1/4 of a mile away.The estate owner is a nice chap that wishes to retain the tree,more because it provides as a screen between his house and the cottage and will only undertake work on it if absolutely necessary.correct and proper work would involve a canopy reduction etc to lessen the upper weight at least and to lessen its risk potential...also to ensure that should it fall then it hits the lawn and not the cottage.

My initial question was more of a learning/inquisitive one as I am aware of the usual culprits and their effects in initial/serious decay but I wondered if fungii such as xylaria helped to hasten the loss of tensile strength significantly..your answer has helped greatly thanks Dalton.

In this case, I just need to give the owner a general informed idea of which action is best for him...work on the tree..or no work at present..and reasons for it with evidence.The correct evidence will lead to some action being taken, the lack of convincing evidence will not. The action involved would be his estate workers straight felling the tree....could be fun ! The correct approach would be to reduce or if the owner insists then section fell it rather than straight fell.

Basically I am concerned about the tree hitting the cottage,I am trying to encourage the landowner to have a full survey done rather than a quick look and placing the enquiry on this forum has helped in how I can word a written suggestion to the guy.

Many thanks.