aerial roots???

[Stephen Blair]

i found these on a beech tree yesterday. any thoughts guys?

[John Hancock]

Looks like it to be bro, either that or you've just found the mother of all rhizomorphs.

[dannyT]

Thats weird. Are you sure you've not just stuffed some twigs in that cavity

[David Humphries]

Here's some aerials from a Hornbeam pollard at Hatfield forest from this weekend.

 

Appears to me in this form as a self nourishment adaption, recycling decaying wood and the associated nutrients within cavaties etc.

 

 

.

[Stephen Blair]

cheers dave, well put. never thought of that before. trees aint daft

[Highland Forestry]

That's an interesting one..

I was on a call out on the railway on Saturday and found some deadwood that had falled from a really old birch.... it had lichen growing on it that would literattly make cabbage look small.... wish I had got a picture..

[mdvaden]

Is there any cavity above it with a small stem - like one of it's germinated seeds, or a shrub growing in it?

 

Otherwise - likely roots from it's own tissue.

[Bundle 2]

I am repeating a hypothesis that was presented on a another forum ( internet slag I know! ) but it was something along the lines...

 

Observations of aerial rooting over the years has lead to an anecdotal theory that it can be seen, quite commonly. BUT that it seemingly only occurs on smooth barked trees like..eg. Horbeam ( Carpinus spp) Beech ( Fagus spp )....

 

Anyone else find it on oak for instance....?

[arnoldbuchsassinger]

i reckon there is something seeded or germinated above that cavity, that or the alien is in there waiting for you

[czhey]

Here's some aerials from a Hornbeam pollard at Hatfield forest from this weekend.

 

Appears to me in this form as a self nourishment adaption, recycling decaying wood and the associated nutrients within cavaties etc.

 

 

.

 

love the pollards at hatfield... live just down the road where you from?

 

From what i've learnt at college they are called adventitious roots, and can form from any dormant bud if the conditons are right (dark, wet)