Is it Meripilus giganteus?

[benedmonds]

I know I posted these pic's on the fungi pic thread but I think they may get lost without me getting an answer..

 

Are these young Meripilus giganteus..? I've only ever seen big mature fruiting bodies.

 

On beech, not from below ground level as you would normally expect, but just above ground level in the root butress. They're about 5cm long.

[benedmonds]

I remember some discusion in the past about retaining beech with meripilus but can't remember if there was any new data/advice.

 

My books are quite clear...

 

“By the time the fruiting bodies of M. giganteus appear , it is likely that a high chance of windthrow exists. Crown symptoms may be preset by this stage, but by no means always.. M. giganteus is one of the most dangerous decay fungi to be found on Fagus sylvatica (Beech) (2001. Lonsdale, Principles of Tree Hazard Assessment and Management)”

 

"fruit bodies indicate heavily destroyed root system, leaving only little time for trees surviving" (2006. Olaf Schmidt, wood and tree fungi)

[Buzz]

Ben looks like it to me but i'm not an ident expert.

 

With regard to your other question, I know of a group of 200 year old plus copper beeches with very mature meripilus growths om that have no sign of crown die back at all.

 

They are however in a parkland setting and will be retained until the collapse.

 

It depends entirley on the location as to what remedial means if any can be taken before suggesting felling.

[Giles Hill]

When you first posted this, I did look at my Merip pics because I thought thats what it looks most like in terms of formation and colour... But I don't have any pics of young Merip.

 

 

You often see fruit bodies on the ground, above where the roots are - It's difficult to guess the context from the pic, whether it's woodland or grass, but might these have been removed, or mown?

 

I was going to suggest going back and looking again in a few weeks, if you can't make a positive ID now.

[benedmonds]

You often see fruit bodies on the ground, above where the roots are - It's difficult to guess the context from the pic, whether it's woodland or grass, but might these have been removed, or mown?

 

It's in a church yard/bordering a field so possible that they have been removed. It lost a big limb at 6m in the summer in calm conditions. I didn't do the clear up but it had dark zone lines as you might find with Polyporus squamosus.. No brackets were found at that time however.

 

I was going to suggest going back and looking again in a few weeks, if you can't make a positive ID now.

 

That was my plan, I thought someone here might confirm my ID and speed the process up.

[David Humphries]

Ben,

yours could very well be Merip, though when ever I come across young forming fb's at my site, they are usualy more yellow like these ones I took this morning.

 

Julian Forbes Laird does suggest that there are possibly two or more different forms of Merip.

 

These ones below are on the infamous Beech from.....

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/tree-health-care/4246-last-beech-standing.html

 

 

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[Tom D]

The ones I have seen have been more yellow too, having said that it could just be a bit washed out in the photo.

[Bundle 2]

By the time the fruiting bodies of M. giganteus appear , it is likely that a high chance of windthrow exists. Crown symptoms may be preset by this stage, but by no means always.. M. giganteus is one of the most dangerous decay fungi to be found on Fagus sylvatica (Beech) (2001. Lonsdale, Principles of Tree Hazard Assessment and Management)”

 

I have also heard D.Lonsdale making the point that the excerpt you quote has been either repeatedly taken out of context or that he anyways no longer regards the situation in such black & white terms....

[Tom Joye]

not sure if it's meripilus. Here are some pics of young merip of diferent age.

[David Humphries]

Good developement set of shots Tom

 

 

 

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