Smooth grey inside

[treeseer]

Quercus phellos lost branch; socket failure revealed hollow core with smooth grey lining. this is someone else's pic as i am not permitted to climb and inspect, so don't ask for a closeup.

 

so what is this smooth grey stuff? have seen similar before but never identified.

[sloth]

Could be the resupinate fruit body of an unidentified fungus perhaps?

[treeseer]

Could be the resupinate fruit body of an unidentified fungus perhaps?

 

That definitely seems to be the case.

 

But which fungus, that is the question.

 

I've seen something like it before but never recorded any data on host species or host condition or extent of spread. i recall it's very slick to the touch.

[David Humphries]

not really enough to go on from my perspective.

 

but would offer up Phellinus as a staring point

 

P. ignarius, P.robustus come to mind or perhaps even Fomes fomentarius

 

 

.

[treeseer]

Would it be unusual to have all that stroma (?) inside and no fb outside? trunk has no wounds at all.

 

Still not allowed to climb and inspect so I'm looking for a camera w a good zoom

[David Humphries]

Would it be unusual to have all that stroma (?) inside and no fb outside? trunk has no wounds at all.

 

 

I don't think this is unusual Guy.

 

Fruitbody morphology at times adapts to its environment

 

Some are specifically resupinate in nature (Phellinus punctatus below), but some that are more traditionally bracket like can also fruit on the top of a cavity becoming resupinate to its surroundings. Particularly if it is able to drop spore in to free air which can escape through openings such as you show above.

 

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

I don't think this is unusual Guy.

Fruitbody morphology at times adapts to its environment

Some are specifically resupinate in nature (Phellinus punctatus below), but some that are more traditionally bracket like can also fruit on the top of a cavity becoming resupinate to its surroundings. Particularly if it is able to drop spore in to free air which can escape through openings such as you show above..

 

Here is Ganoderma pfeifferi at Windsor, inside a resurected section of beech (not shown very clearly, but if I remember correctly part resupinate) growing at the very top of this man made cavity

 

 

.

[treeseer]

Well I got 114' up in this willow oak today; glorious fun with gusting wind and pollen a-flying. Got into the cavity and what looked smooth and grey in the earlier pic is dry and browninsh but the resupinate fb is still velvety smooth.

 

Very cool (to me) look at branch collar construction in this socket failure. Teh shell wall is 21" on one side of the hole and 12" on the other. Incredibel that "fell" be the verdict; because "reduction pruning would be too ugly and expensive.'

 

One swath between wounds is caked with Nectria cinnabarina. good graphic to dissuade pruners from making those big cuts in a column.