Rather poorly Oak

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Saw this tree today in a holiday park. Any ideas on the fungal ID, struggling to find a match in my books - any suggestions appreciated. 2 sets of fruiting bodies on opposite sides of the tree, exudation smelling like stale cider from the night before on the pub floor.

[David Humphries]

Perhaps Volvariella bombycina

 

 

 

The gill/spore colour, stem and basal volva look right.

 

Could you tell if the top of the caps were or had been covered in silky hair like fibres?

 

 

.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

David, thank you! Sorry, couldn't see tops on that occasion, I was out on a social visit so didn't have ladders, bino's, parrot drone etc. I couldn't ID it in my ref books (AA Fungi on trees, Webber/Matheck Manual of Wood Decays in Trees, Strouts/Winter No.2 Diagnosis of I'll Health in Trees) and was feeling rather beaten! How do we best assess the impact/effect the specimen might have upon the host tree in a case like this - type of rot, likely extent / outcome for host tree etc? Appreciate your thoughts!

[David Humphries]

Not a particularly common find and seldom listed in the main arb resources.

 

Top of my head, I don't think we have it in the Arbtalk Fungi App.

 

 

They look to be located on the wounds of what may have been an old lightning strike (?)

 

I believe they're a saprobic species, degrading/consuming the dysfunctional wood.

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Not a particularly common find and seldom listed in the main arb resources.

 

Top of my head, I don't think we have it in the Arbtalk Fungi App.

 

 

They look to be located on the wounds of what may have been an old lightning strike (?)

 

I believe they're a saprobic species, degrading/consuming the dysfunctional wood.

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

I make that correct on all counts Mr humphries, first sighting for me on Oak in any lit too, so thanks to the OP for the share:thumbup1:

 

One of the most stunning of shrooms, with the most awesome roll off the tongue name, and one of my all time faves:001_cool:

 

a seriously cool shroom, the shroom hunters shroom you might say:biggrin:

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

not a poorly tree at all, what you would call a veteran

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Agreed veteran Tony, but the location is high risk and quite worrying - I took a day trip across to Camelford/St Tudy area (Cornwall) to catch up with an old school buddy who's holidaying with his family at a park there. I was amazed that lodges had been built all around the tree at little more than 5-10 (varying) meters from the stem - I don't know what the chalet footings are but they looked 10-15 years old and dread to think what allowance was (or wasn't!) made for the RPA. Canopy with extensive deadwood, major limbs and stem with significant defects and children playing all day underneath. Here is a problem waiting to happen! I'll drop a line to the park owners and offer a climbing survey but I'm not optimistic they'll accept, there are several fairly amateurish historic limb reductions which tends to indicate either an "in-house" gardener or a local cowboy has had a go previously. I think I've got some more pics other than those posted earlier, I'll have a check a post 'em up if I do. Thanks for the feedback.

[treeseer]

agree that shroom looks saprobic.

 

the stale cider infection is not fungal; see attached; i cleaned one of those just yesterday.

Ooze in the News from TCI Magazine 09-04.pdf

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Was it 3 pics attached or 1 document & 2 pics? The first of the attachments doesn't open ):0(

 

What did you clean the weep with?

 

Thanks for feedback ):0)

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Opened it on the Mac! Really useful document, thank you!