Fungi ID help please

[Si Stevenson]

Can anyone ID this and tell me the implications?

 

It's at the base of a large Willow. The inside is badly decayed, not sure how deep as it was dark when I viewed it!

 

Any direction would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

Si

[Jesse]

Looks like Trametes versicolor, or also known as Coriols v, Polyporus v, if it is its a saprophyte, and the consequences of that depend on the extent of decay associated with it and strength of the remaining healthy wood, also is their anything else going on decay wise, and then consider the risk to the target. No now i have had a better look more like Bjerkandera adusta whats it on ?

Edited October 1, 2013 by Jesse
more info

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

B adusta possibly

[Jesse]

Looks like Trametes versicolor, or also known as Coriols v, Polyporus v, if it is its a saprophyte, and the consequences of that depend on the extent of decay associated with it and strength of the remaining healthy wood, also is their anything else going on decay wise, and then consider the risk to the target. No now i have had a better look more like Bjerkandera adusta whats it on ?

 

Looks like its on Lime, and the photo is on its side so the rippling effect is lost and more difficult to see, looks nothing like David's photos but thats because its at a different stage of development, white rot, common on dead trees more rare on living, which suggests their to be a large area of decay within the stem.

Sorry didn't really read the OP, its on Willow, worse still.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Jesse
Did not read all of OP.

[Si Stevenson]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Yes, sorry, photo is on its side. It was a bit of a rush job as I was losing light.

 

It looked to be infested with ants. The wood inside was mush, but I didn't get to see the full extent.

 

I am going back to have another look in the daylight. Is it worth excavating the "mush" to establish the extent of the damage? It's only a couple of feet from the ground.......so I guess it doesn't bode well for the tree......

[Jesse]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Yes, sorry, photo is on its side. It was a bit of a rush job as I was losing light.

 

It looked to be infested with ants. The wood inside was mush, but I didn't get to see the full extent.

 

I am going back to have another look in the daylight. Is it worth excavating the "mush" to establish the extent of the damage? It's only a couple of feet from the ground.......so I guess it doesn't bode well for the tree......

 

Yep sorry i didn't read your text first time bad habit of just looking at the photos and replying, a probe would be good have a good stab in their and first of all take a mallet and have a good knock around the sound part of the trunk then compare by having a good knock around the area of trunk around the cavity, then have a good probe with something long and thin, try to hit the sound wood at the back of the decay to get an idea of whats going on, should also have a good look aroud the tree and ground for signs of anything else.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Jesse
Because i'm no good at remembering things.

[Si Stevenson]

Thanks Jesse

 

I shall report back with my findings......

[Jesse]

Yep sorry i didn't read your text first time bad habit of just looking at the photos and replying, a probe would be good have a good stab in their and first of all take a mallet and have a good knock around the sound part of the trunk then compare by having a good knock around the area of trunk around the cavity, then have a good probe with something long and thin, try to hit the sound wood at the back of the decay to get an idea of whats going on, should also have a good look aroud the tree and ground for signs of anything else.

Should have also said, while you are having a good look around the tree and the base of it ,look up in the canopy of the tree and note what previous tree management works have been done, ie has it been managed as a pollard , if so how long ago?, this form of management could possibly be continued depending upon your findings tomorrow, or today as it is now , foliage, whats it like, if its on the floor pick it up and have a look, rust spots ? sparse ? early crown die back ?, extensive deadwood ? all things to consider in the bigger picture.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

now I look and see its a willow, missed that in the first instance i would go with Trametes versicolour, indicating a vertical section of die back from the base of that old wound verticaly, extending below but not above it. The wound wood will be connected to new channels, the core and strip below wound will be extensively decayed but maybe compartmentalised and stable, forming a horseshoe of sound wood in time

[Si Stevenson]

Tony, Jesse,

 

Thanks for your input - I have shared it with my customer and they are very impressed - with you!

 

I return this evening in the daylight, with a mallet and a steel rod......... Not good news.

Using the mallet around the base it didn't give the dull thud I would expect......and as I placed my hand opposite where I was hitting I could feel a distinct vibration. This lead me to think that there is little sound wood within.

 

Using the rod I prodded the wound. As your can see by the photos it went in quite a way, both up and down. It really is infested with ants aswell, which I am sure won't help.

 

Having spoken to the new owners of the property, they told me that the building had extensive work done seven years ago. It is my guess that they removed a large limb to enable this work to take place.......consequently creating this wound.

 

There is also a large fracture in the top of the crown.... Not sure whether the pics will show it.

 

Tony I take on board what you have said about the horse shoe of sound wood....but.....the tree leans and is weighted heavily one way......which in my humble opinion may put a lot of stress on the decayed area. What do you think?