A really bizarre fungus...

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Haven't found a really good fungi book yet. The one that really explains it all though is Fungal Decay Strategies... I can't remember full title. Will check for you. But it's pretty heavy duty, Mattheck does a lightweight version of it.

I used to try and learn what each fungus looked like and what it did, then I read aforementioned books and realised it is more powerful to understand the ways that trees are infected and weakened and killed by fungi in general, then learn (backed up by observations) how the main fungal species fit in to those 'strategies'. Each to their own though. I like to build from the bottom, and I love threads like this because it is an opportunity to research, top up, share knowledge and to benefit mtually from someone else's observations. One doesn't come across hardcore Xylaria polymorpha every day...

 

That's the book.

By Mattheck etc I meant it is in the realms of biomechanics, thinking about load distribution, position of centre of gravity, wind forces, loss of strength and the second stage of VTA (see Body Language of Trees and so forth). Hopefully no-one thought i was literally suggesting getting in the man himself...

 

I like the direction and sentiment of your postings, and agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment. Thanks forreminding me why I came here in the beginning, arbtalk could do with many more, I feel like my time is better spent jst occasionaly picking up the odd misleading error or offering alternatives to quite absolute statements at times in here. Im glad to see there are others keeping it real with the right frame of mind and attitude.

 

Mutse atsi:thumbup1: