Fungus

Any visuals available ?

No, the info comes from my note book.

1. Which is a saprobe, no? Indicating dead wood/ dysfunction on the buttress it is present on?

2. is the very thick fibrous bark of redwoods subject to the same decomposing fungi as other trees?

1. Correct.

2. Not to those on other trees in general, but to some of the generalistic bark decomposing fungi of other coniferous tree species.

Compartmentalisation on an Alder

Or no compartmentalisation at all, but demarcation lines of two or more mycelia instead. Were their any FB's of any fungi present ?

at the base of a wellingtonia. Any suggestions - Brown spores for your info.

Hypholoma fasciculare.

Here is Pleurotus ostreatus fruiting from an old strike on Horse chestnut, that has yet to occlude. Saprophyte feeding on the exposed dysfunctional sapwood.

In the Netherlands, on beech we sometimes see a colonization of the exposed sapwood in the strike wound by Inonotus cuticularis.

Trametes gibbosa ?

Was taken after a very hard frost over night.

Matt,

Flammulina velutipes is a winter species with trehalose (anti-freeze) in its FB's to withstand frost. And frost doesn't change the colour of the spores.

How about the Mild Milkcap?

As I said before, Lactarius subdulcis is associated with Fagus. If present, did you check the colour and the taste of the milk ? Besides, judged by the photo and without further information, it could just as well be a Clitocybe or Lepista species.

Came across this fungi body on the base of most of the trees & I am thinking that they may be suffering from Coniophora puteana?

Danavan,

I'm not convinced this is a Coniophora species. It could just as well be one of a number of look-a-likes, that can only be identified 100 % certain with a microscope.

The mess up the stem was almost like mycelium sheets externally rather than between the wood, im sure you understand what i mean.

No, I don't, a close up would be welcome and is the tree not a coniferous species then ?

Matt,

1-6 : Hypholoma fasciculare = Flammulina velutipes (white spores)

11-13 : fungi/species growing on moss = lichen Peltigera canina

oaks ... Lactarius subdulcis

1/2. L. subdulcis is associated with beech.

1. Would this be panic fruiting by Armillaria? What is the mess up the stem? its not actual a HF fruiting body as such.

2. Also in the previous picture how can you tell if the fungi is sterile?

1. Could be if the tree recently died. And the mess on the stem is resin produced by coniferous trees as a reaction to the presence (high up) in the stem of mycelium or rhizomorphs of the necrotrophic parasitic Armillaria, that killed the tree.

2. Because of the absence of tubes and spores.

I would suggest Coniophora puteana

Saprotrophic Coniophora species cause a brown rot, starting off with a superficial outside in decomposition of bark and dead wood.

Gerrit has Alder listed first for serotinus.

That's because the tree species are listed in alphabetical order. It's most common on beech and birch on the continent too.

this blew over last night at the front of a hotel at around 9pm - in not very strong wind. We'd noticed this fungus below in October - the culprit ?

Gareth,

With rusty brown spores ? If so, Pholiota squarrosa, which is quite common on ash and often with these alarming results, because of total decomposition of major roots and/or the trunk's base.

It's amazing that anything decomposes railway sleepers but the state of some reclaimed ones shows something obviously does. You gotta be able to withstand some pollution if your name is sulphur tuft.

I meant it decomposes dead wood with self produced organohalogens or polyaromatic hydrocarbons and the name Sulphur tuft (in Dutch Zwavelkop = sulphur head) comes from the colour of the cap and from the bitter taste.

Matt,

4-9 : Tubaria hiemalis (T. furfuracea s.l.)

10-12 : old Clitocybe nebularis ?

suspect its Armillaria in action

Matthew,

See my album on Armillaria for insects feeding on the acid smelling secretion by a with rhizomorphs infected oak.

... or P. truncatus and it could also be Dichomitus campestris.

And you can add P. ferruginosus as a possible candidate too.

it's perhaps P. ferreus ...

... or P. truncatus and it could also be Dichomitus campestris.

a weak guess at Hypholoma capnoides ??

H. capnoides is restricted to (stumps of) dead coniferous wood.

Culprit for this could have been merip due to root rot, can't remember 100% if sorbus is a host for merip.

Rob,

Yes, in The Netherlands it is.

seen this beech with large amounts of panic fruiting merip in a park near me earlier this year, the wind got it this week, alot of the main roots were rotten the 2nd pic has a old fruit showing

Ben,

documentation of the typical wood decomposition strategy of M. giganteus in beech, warning for potential wind throw by panic fruiting.

Pleurotus ostreatus

, a winter species attacking trees while they are in their resting phase and can't defend themself.