Oudemansiella mucida-significance?

[SDDavid]

Do any of you out there have any experience with this saprophytic fungus? i've spotted it on a beech in a stand over the road from my cottage on a mature specimen about 7-8m up on the main stem and at the base of a large branch that arises at the same point. It seems that the health of the branch is poor in comparison with the rest of the tree, but as i know very little about the nature of this type of fungi other than its mode of decay, i'm loathe to climb it. Any help/advice much appreciated.

 

David.

[David Humphries]

I think of it as a mainly saprophytic species that degrades dysfunctional wood volumes mainly in branches and leads to a very dry hard ceramic type decay.

 

Not advisable to put any weight on a branch that has fruit bodies on.

 

 

 

 

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[daltontrees]

I think of it as a mainly saprophytic species that degrades dysfunctional wood volumes mainly in branches and leads to a very dry hard ceramic type decay.

 

Not advisable to put any weight on a branch that has fruit bodies on.

 

.

 

Yep, I wouldn't be throwing a rope over that branch.

 

I've observed O.m. with great interest over the years, and it does indeed seem to be largely saprophytic, always associated with more serious precedent dysfunction. I'm not sure now that I've seen it other than on Beech.

[David Humphries]

Mostly see it on on beech down here in the south also, but often see it on oak as in this last image from a couple of days ago

 

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[David Humphries]

I think of it as a mainly saprophytic species that degrades dysfunctional wood volumes mainly in branches and leads to a very dry hard ceramic type decay

 

Not advisable to put any weight on a branch that has fruit bodies on

.

 

 

Very brittle detachment as these images illustrate........

 

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[SDDavid]

Thanks for the advice. Does the fungus decay cellulose exclusively, or preferentially?

[slack ma girdle]

I have only seen it on Ganoderma ridden Beech's in these here parts.

[David Humphries]

..... Does the fungus decay cellulose exclusively, or preferentially?

 

Based upon my/our observations of retained and detached branches I would think that the decay is more akin to soft rot where wood initially becomes brittle due to cellulose degradation. This often results in ceramic brittle fracture of affected parts should they fail.

 

Similar to what we see in Massaria branch failure or Kretzschmaria trunk failure.......carrot snapping.

 

 

 

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[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Excellent stuff, thank you all.

 

Paul

[SDDavid]

Thanks to Mr Humpries.