Went out to spot fungi today...

[Kveldssanger]

Will have some great snaps of Pseudoinonotus dryadeus tomorrow. Below are two of which I suspect both are Fistulina hepatica. Can anyone confirm?

 

Subject #1:

 

Subject #2:

 

Both on mature / veteran oak.

[David Humphries]

Both sets are Fistulina Chris.

 

 

 

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[Kveldssanger]

Cheers.

[Kveldssanger]

I. hispidus on F. excelsior:

 

P. dryadeus on Q. robur:

[David Humphries]

Fine sets of shots again Chris.

 

Did you consider taking a slice out of the dryadeus to see the flesh, tubes and pore layer?

 

Tree looks to have a fairly substantial lean toward the property, any thoughts to reduction?

 

 

 

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[Kveldssanger]

To be honest I tend to opt to inspect from afar, as I don't like meddling with brackets unless I absolutely have to. For instance, that fine L. sulphureus was removed by someone not long after I took photos of it - absolutely gutted, if I'm honest. I may return to take a small cutting however, from one of the edges - would this impact upon the bracket's ability to sporulate?

 

The oak on which the oak dryad sits is covered by a TPO, though I'm putting in an app. for a 2.5m (to 3m in places) reduction. It has a large wound from old storm damage within the lower crown and a (most probably) extensive decay column, and combined with this, I think a slightly heftier reduction around February of next year (to not stress the oak more than is necessary) and a subsequent cycle of maintenance every few years should be sufficient; unless, of course, it begins to deteriorate, though with this species of fungus there is no real deterioration in health, with anchorage roots simply being decayed from the underside.

 

Given my unwillingness to start probing into the oak, and the lack of funds for any sort of tomography, it'll be one of those where I err on the side of caution though don't get over-zealous and look to fell it. It's a nice oak, has good historical value, and was important enough to be retained and then preserved later on. If the decay is isolated to that side, the remaining roots should be sufficient. My only concern is that the ground is tarmac'd all the way up to the base - on all sides! Likely some serious root severance in the past when this area was built approx. 50 years ago, as the TPO was only put on in 1973.

 

As for the I. hispidus, in one of the pics it looks like there's a little maggot / larva in the bracket. Funnily enough, this bracket is fruiting from the same spot a bracket came out last year. Potentially good compartmentalisation by the ash?

Edited August 18, 2015 by Kveldssanger

[Paul Cleaver]

Pseudoinonotus dryadeus so is this different to inonotus dryadeus - surely not re named as such - that would be silly

[sloth]

Yep, the subject of a recent name change...

[Paul Cleaver]

Yep, the subject of a recent name change...

 

look how long has it taken them to find out its different to a inonotus

[Paul Melarange]

As for the I. hispidus, in one of the pics it looks like there's a little maggot / larva in the bracket. Funnily enough, this bracket is fruiting from the same spot a bracket came out last year. Potentially good compartmentalisation by the ash?

 

Dr Keith Alexander (entomologist) has provided the ancient tree forum website with some fantastic information on invertebrates found on fungal fruiting bodies.

 

http://www.ancienttreeforum.co.uk/ancient-trees/ancient-tree-ecology-wildlife/invertebrates/

 

He explains that annual bracket fungi have their own associated specialist fauna. The beetles Triplax russica and Orchesia micans develop on brackets of I.hispidus.