David Humphries

Still going but quite hollow and the significant crack is a bit more significant. Vitality is ok but stability not so good so we’ve reduced it again to fairly sizeable diameter branches to try and stabilise it. I’ll try and get some new images up tomorrow. always watching ! 😄

Cracking work Tom, love the vids.

Holes will allow ingress of spore from fungal pathogens. ive seen the base of trunks with Sesia apiformis with Armillaria and Ganoderma sp chomping away at the basal wood volumes. Bit of info in this old AT thread

Some fine films being listed. Personal favourite is probably the only film that Connery and Cane ‘starred’ in together. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0073341/mediaviewer/rm3733601792 https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0073341/ Bit dated in terms of the filming and editing and could probably do with a remake, but don’t think any of the current crop could do it justice as a paring. Saeed Jaffrey as Billy Fish was fantastic in support and nearly stole the show.

Ganoderma (or Fomes) Postia and old Laetiporus perhaps?

Fairly common Will, but only if you had the pleasure of seeing them and bagged them in their particular habitat.

Schizophyllum commune - Split Gills

Not 100% sure it’s Laccaria, but not sure what else it may be to be honest. Laccaria’s are mycorrhizal

Has a look of Laccaria laccata or L. proxima but the gill attachment looks a bit odd and difficult to see with these images. Were you on the beer 😄 Were the gills relatively flat under the cap (adnate) or attached lower down the stem? (decurrent)

Hi Nick, how’s tricks? Any shots of the context of the tree? Also interested to know if you had any decay assessment undertaken? Fine set of images. Strong band of reaction at the edge of the decay evident.

Fomitoporia but used to be known as Phellinus. Similar to Phellinus pomaceus. Pretty sure it’s not in Jordan’s. Not many of the fungi Id books list it as it’s seldom noted. Think Ryvarden has it listed in his Europe’s Polypore volumes. Don’t think I saw your message, was it here on AT or on my work email? Can you send it again.

Fomitiporia punctata (Karst).Murrill. Colleague and I were invited down by a neighbouring local authority to witness the section dismantle of a London plane street pollard with suspected colonisation of F. punctata (previously known as Phellinus punctatus) It was an interesting opportunity to observe the spread of the decay from impact damage and prunning wounds into the core of the wood volume and breaking the through the trees codit barriers. Not much literature I can find on the ecology and significance of the species on this particular host tree but we believe we are seeing evidence of white rot delignification. First image is a google street view of the tree from 2008, second image clearly shows the dysfunctonal bark on the right hand side of the trunk, associating with the dysfunction and decay. There also appear to be canker type strips flowing down the trunk below the fruit bodys, where the incramental live wood has been unable to occlude the dysfunctional xylem. Samples from this tree and control trees further down the avenue are being sent to Forest Research for further annalysis to assess the wood volumes for other wood decay organisms.

Hi Pat, to be honest there is no specification as each tree will be vastly different In terms of root morphology and growing environment. You’re pretty much on the money. Excavate the soil by hand with small spade/trowel around all the main butresses (or where there is a specific fruiting) being careful not to damage root bark. Checking for decay and dysfunction using a sounding mallet and probe. Be aware of any live cables.

Hand dig or airspade investigation. Either option will potentially give you more knowledge of the root/buttress condition.

Could be dead bark, could be dysfunctional xylem/phloem. Have you looked at or considered excavating around the trunk/root interface to assess the root vitality?