Phellinus robustus

[Giles Hill]

Looking at Nuttyarbs site, I noticed some pictures of Phellinus robustus - apparently there have only been 12 known sitings in England.

 

They reminded me of a pic I took a while back of a bracket I couldn't ID but thought it might be an odd looking Fistulina growing about 4m above ground level on an oak:

 

 

Obviously it's inconclusive to say the least - it was too high to photograph the upper part and it's in Rutland, so it'll be a while before I get a chance to investigate further.

 

It does have some similarities to these pics from NA's site, including the small splits around the edge.

 

I'd like to know what other characteristics I need to look for to get a positive ID one way or the other.

 

 

[sean]

just tried looking in michael jordans encyclopedia of fungi and robustus is not even in there!!!

[Giles Hill]

I don't know how rare some of these things really are...

 

If you believe this article there have only been 296 recorded sitings of Ganoderma resinaceum:

 

Look at the rare fungi I?ve found (From Worcester News)

[sean]

I'm always reading that resinaceum is rare!!!!! Load of tosh....i see loads of it.

[David Humphries]

I don't know how rare some of these things really are...

 

If you believe this article there have only been 296 recorded sitings of Ganoderma resinaceum:

 

Look at the rare fungi I?ve found (From Worcester News)

 

I'm always reading that resinaceum is rare!!!!! Load of tosh....i see loads of it.

 

 

 

Maybe with a good few of the recorded sightings, people are possibly confusing resinaceum with lucidum.

 

 

 

As for robustus, there really is precious little info out there.

 

On a world distribution map I looked at, there isn't any in the Uk apparantly

 

 

 

.

[Giles Hill]

P. robustus is a dull looking thing compared to some brackets and given that it likes being out of reach and it's not edible, it might just be boring rather than very rare.

[David Humphries]

I'd like to know what other characteristics I need to look for to get a positive ID one way or the other.

 

]

 

Lonsdale doesn't make mention of it in Principals, though I've found that both Mattheck & Butin do.

 

 

Picking out bits & pieces from both;

 

they agree that type of decay is White. (M&B)

it's parasitic (B)

it hosts upon Oaks, Sweetchestnut and Robinia. (M&B)

the spore is white (M)

the pores are Cinnamon-Yellow (B)

 

& woodpecker holes are commonly found in close proximity. (M)

 

 

This is filling a hole for me, hope it's of use.

 

 

 

.

Edited September 21, 2009 by Monkey-D

[Giles Hill]

Thanks David, I did a bit of googling over the weekend and most of the results were for foreign websites - it seems to be a little more well-known in other countries, I didn't find much in the way of useful ID though.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

robustus conk, Phellinus robustus (Hymenochaetales: Hymenochaetaceae) @ Forestry Images

 

It isnt rare, the fact its listed as a red data species however suggests otherwise, but then G pfifferi is one too?

 

a very variable bracket fungus this one, though its pore surface is often at an angle as apposed to the flat underhangs of the Ganodermas

[Bundle 2]

Looks abit like Phellinus igniarius...."White trunk rot"

I note from Phillips the following...

"May be a complex of species not yet fully resolved"

Hosts on deciduous and Ill grant you. willow is nowhere the same as oak....

Ive seen the conks turn from a creamy white , to a form more reminiscent of Fomes (Hoof fungus). It cracks like the image shown.

 

"It isnt rare..."

Really?