Ganoderma applanatum

[David Humphries]

A consultant recently told me that you can easily tell the difference between the 2 - news to me as I thought you needed a microscope to tell them apart.

 

He reckons that G. applanatum has a more fragile upper crust. If you apply some pressure with your thumb and your thumb goes through the crust then it is applanatum (I have memorised it as "applanathumb" to help). If you can't press your thumb through it is probably adspersum.

 

Anyone else heard this - or know if it is true!?

 

Nice pics by the way Bart.

 

I've been thumbing G's for a while.

Ted Green and David Londsdale concur with this theory.

I've heard them say this more than once.

 

However, careful you are not thumbing a desicated adspersum, as I you may find the crust could give way in a similar fashion to applanatum.

 

Ted also implies that applanatum, is far less agressive and leans toward the theory that it's at home around dysfunctional wood.

 

 

 

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[Bart]

Whent out today and gave them a good thumbing:001_smile:. They had a very hard upper crust.

[David Humphries]

So, could be G. adspersum.

 

Interesting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[stevelucocq]

so as a general rule are we saying increase the risk factor if it adspersum? so IDing it correctly is v important. Also I did read somewhere that there are white mycelial strips in the flesh of applanatum, anyone else agree with this? Just ordered a new camera and will be keen to get out soon and use it . Cheers steve

[Bundle 2]

" Anyone else heard this - or know if it is true!? "

 

Rules of thumb huh....! Its always the exception that proves the rule....!

 

I also heard A.Summers from Treelife pretty much say he thought Ted Greens notion of applanatum appearing only saprophytically was not supportable...I guess there is some disagreement...but correct id IS important for sure!

Edited February 6, 2009 by Bundle 2
sudden mountain of posts appeared from nowhere like magic11

[stevelucocq]

" Anyone else heard this - or know if it is true!? "

 

 

 

hi I read it in Manual of wood decays in trees, K. Weber, C. Mattheck but this of cause does not mean its 100% rule.

 

also this is interesting reading:

 

Ganoderma on Trees - Differentiation of species and studies of invasiveness

F.W.M.R. Schwarze and D. Ferner

 

Diagnosis and differentiation

 

The perennial fruit bodies of G. applanatum have often been confused with those of G. adspersum, but the following characteristics can help to differentiate these species. If the lower surface of the fruit body bears the galls of the larvae of the mushroom fly Agathomyia wankowici, the fungus can be identified as G. applanatum, as it is the only European species of Ganoderma affected (BREITENBACH and KRÄNZLIN, 1986). However, the absence of these galls does not prove the converse, especially in regions where the fly does not occur. Another feature of the fruit bodies of G. applanatum is that they are usually thinner than those of G. adspersum (20 – 60 mm, compared with 40 – 100 mm) at the base. Also their undersides tend to emerge sharply at right angles from the host stem, whereas those of G. adspersum usually have a decurrent attachment. Moreover, G. applanatum has a thinner crust, which can be indented with a fingernail. With a hand lens, a difference in the pore structure can be seen in a radial section; in the older parts of the fruit body, the pores of G. applanatum, become filled with a white mycelium, whereas those of G. adspersum remain empty (BREITENBACH and KRÄNZLIN, 1986).

Microscopic features are also useful in distinguishing G. applanatum from G. adspersum. Its basidiospores are, on average, smaller (7 – 9 x 4.5 – 6.0 μm, compared with 8.5 – 12.0 x 6.5 – 8.0 μm) (BREITENBACH and KRÄNZLIN, 1986). Also, it has been reported by FERNER (2000) to produce broader hyphae at the growing margins of pure cultures on agar, having an average diameter of 3.50 μm, compared with 2.10 μm in G. adspersum (see Fig. 1A). As both spore size and hyphal diameter show overlap between individuals of the two species, another criterion, recently described by FERNER (2000), should be applied; i.e. the formation of thin hyphal strands at the margins of colonies of G. adspersum growing on cellophane overlying agar; this does not occur in the case of G. applanatum.

 

cheers steve

[David Humphries]

also this is interesting reading:

 

Ganoderma on Trees - Differentiation of species and studies of invasiveness

F.W.M.R. Schwarze and D. Ferner

 

cheers steve

 

 

http://www.enspec.com/articles/ENSPEC%20Research%20Paper%20-%20Ganoderma%20on%20Trees.pdf

 

G. applanatum " It commonly causes a root- and butt-rot but, being confined mainly to trees with dysfunctional xylem associated with large wounds on the roots, it is regarded as predominantly saprotrophic"

 

Great reference Steve.

Hadn't read this before.

 

 

Will digest indepth when kids allow.

 

David

Edited February 7, 2009 by Monkey-D

[David Humphries]

Here's what I see as G. applanatum on Dead Beech from yesterdays stroll down t'woods

 

 

Thinner rim than adspersum, crust cracks uunder a thumb nail and perenially hosting here on dead/dysfunctioning wood.

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[David Humphries]

Here is G. applanatum on dysfunctional butress on Beech.

 

Note the wasp gall on the pore surface.

 

And the ease of breaking through the crust

 

.

Edited October 23, 2009 by Monkey-D

[Arborist Sites]

This is G. applanatum, it is being removed next week along with others by Mr Ed, i have heard the thumb trick being used a few times by what i would call senior arb consultants, if its good enough for them it will do for me