This might be a stupid question

[Dan Curtis]

Found this today around 70ft up a Cedrus libani. I may be being stupid and it is in fact sap exudation that has combined with dirt and discolured but wanted to ask to see what others thoughts were.

 

The pictures aren't fantastic and I had nothing with which to pry it from the branch to look inside, but I'm fairly certain it's a fungi of some sort. I've tried the usual reference materials but they haven't turned anything up. It covers a small part of the stem like a slime but is rock solid. When the surface is scratched it has a whiter, dusty interior.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Either that or its bird doo doo.

[Gary Prentice]

Found this today around 70ft up a Cedrus libani. I may be being stupid and it is in fact sap exudation that has combined with dirt and discolured but wanted to ask to see what others thoughts were.

 

The pictures aren't fantastic and I had nothing with which to pry it from the branch to look inside, but I'm fairly certain it's a fungi of some sort. I've tried the usual reference materials but they haven't turned anything up. It covers a small part of the stem like a slime but is rock solid. When the surface is scratched it has a whiter, dusty interior.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Either that or its bird doo doo.

 

I read this last night and made a note to come back for answers. Sticking my neck out, I think it's just a resinous exudate.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

I read this last night and made a note to come back for answers. Sticking my neck out, I think it's just a resinous exudate.

 

Haha, likewise....'dooh.' Where's Tony and David....never when you need um eh?

 

What are we looking at? The blackened area, whihc I agree appears to be hardened/blackened resinous stuff, or what appears to be 2 small 'conks' to the mid-left, juts below the 'stick' thing?

 

Paul

[Gary Prentice]

The "stick" thing looks like needles on my screen

 

I'm assuming from the op's description, that we're talking about the shiny black matter. I can't make out the "conks" from the photo.

 

Can someone give David or Tony a poke...

[treeman]

i would say sap/resin gone hard

 

seen it before a few times

[David Humphries]

Been stuck in the dark cyber world of tree inspection software manipulation today.............you can't

 

 

 

I would think that its probably as suggested, resin.

 

Always useful having a dig at specimens with a blade to try and determine whether it has flesh/spore tubes beneath the surface or whether its something else entirely.

 

 

.....and perhaps a wider context shot

 

 

.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

The "stick" thing looks like needles on my screen

 

I'm assuming from the op's description, that we're talking about the shiny black matter. I can't make out the "conks" from the photo.

 

Can someone give David or Tony a poke...

 

Yeah...ok, I knew that.

 

Knew I should have kept that appointment at 'Spec Savers'....dooh!!!

[Dan Curtis]

The more I look at the pictures the more I think resin. But in the flesh it really didn't seem that way, it didn't feel or seem like any exudation I've seen on Cedar before. The colouring and texture weren't right.

 

Ho hum, maybe it's just me then:biggrin: