Benzoin Fest

[Warren Stirling]

Been out in Mallorca and due to not being able to roast myself silly in the sun went on a fungi hunt. Came across a hotel grounds where I would say 90 out of a 100 or so trees(conifer due to fungi ident) had what I think is Ischnoderma benzoinum-Benzoin bracket. Trees are managed with heavy reductions and obviously have plenty of dysfunctional wood to feed the fungi as all seem to be in good health.

Last 2 images of a nice old olive with plenty of character.

[Stubby]

Last one looks like a wallet tree , not olive

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

cracking images, would not be looking at Benzoin though, just aint quite right for me, could be wrong though

[Warren Stirling]

Ahh, so that's where I left it.

[Warren Stirling]

cracking images, would not be looking at Benzoin though, just aint quite right for me, could be wrong though

 

Well I'm feeling confident Tony so I'll put a fiver on it and will pay up on Thursday If I'm wrong:001_tt2:

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Well I'm feeling confident Tony so I'll put a fiver on it and will pay up on Thursday If I'm wrong:001_tt2:

 

 

I havent seen a Ischnoderma resinosum yet, maybe it is the cousin,as apposed to the benzoin?

 

confidence is good:thumbup1: Imjust adding my thoughts, as always with ears and eyes wide open rather than blinkered, everytime im wrong I learn something.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

the Ischnodermas do tend to guttate (ooze droplets) ischnoderma benzoinum oozes a red liquid.

[Warren Stirling]

I havent seen a Ischnoderma resinosum yet, maybe it is the cousin,as apposed to the benzoin?

 

confidence is good Imjust adding my thoughts, as always with ears and eyes wide open rather than blinkered, everytime im wrong I learn something.

 

Exactly what I was thinking, go with my guttation I mean gut instinct! Consulted with Keiser and Phillips and see I. resinosum also referred to as Benzoin bracket.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Exactly what I was thinking, go with my guttation I mean gut instinct! Consulted with Keiser and Phillips and see I. resinosum also referred to as Benzoin bracket.

 

Ischnoderma benzoinum and ischnoderma resinosum are different fungi, with resinosum found on deciduos species I believe.

 

In my Jordans encyclopedia -

 

it suggests benzoinum is the benzoin bracket and favouring conifers spruce it notes but I find it likes scotts very much so.

 

but resinosum is down as the broadleaf hosting favouring beech.

 

and having looked at my images of forming benzoinum im even less inclined that yours be the benzoin.

 

Gerrit Jan Keizer only shows the I. benzoinum in his encycolpedia

 

Roger Phillips- notes that some authorities now suggest that the host defines the species with benzoinum being the conifer hosted one of the two.

 

Neither Keizer or phillips pictorially represent I resinosum.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

and i may be seeing frass (insect boring residue) rather than a spore print but if its frass then this is a brown rot fungi as the fras is brown rotted, otherwise the sporeprint is brown like cocao, not white as in benzoinum.