Fungus

1. Does a failure always precede by fruiting Meripilus?

2. Is it possible for a tree to fall over with no signs of Meripilus before the failure?

Tobias,

1. No.

2. Yes.

Could be White Brain - Exidia thuretiana

Mark,

Was it attached to the wood or laying on top and free from it ? If it was free, it might be "star jelly" or heron's or polecat's vomit after they have been eating (female : Falopian tubes) frogs.

some fungi/decay actually increases flexibility, what then?" Good question. depends on load, etc.

Another good question : what species with what types of wood rot (temporarely) increase flexibility and what species with what types of woodrot (temporarely) change the T/R or slenderness ratio in what other way and with what consequences for your diagnosis of stability of the tree and your tree management options ?

This fungi ... we do not know what it is, I have looked in all my books and can not find it ... It is on the base of an Oak

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus).

about fungi under a willow, no fruit present at time, no trees even within a stones throw ... he described Paxillus involutus, its a healthy young almost mature willow with no damages to roots. Willow is endomycorrhizae isnt it?

Tony,

No, only as seedlings, Salix is associated both with endo- and pioneer ectomycorrhizal symbionts, full grown willows are associated with ectomycorrhizal macrofungi, some of which are exclusive for Salix and part of the tree species specific ecosystem such as Russula subrubens, Tricholoma cingulatum and Cortinarius urbicus.

1. The biggest FB's in the last pictures were almost 20 cm in diameter. Isn't that too big to be Galerina marginata?

2. By the way: where do you see the brown spores? On the ring?

Tom,

1.Yes, it is, so how about Gymnopilus sapineus then ?

2. .

1. Maybe the rot can tell you more.

2. The picture of what I thought to be geotropy in Fomes comes from an American oak only meters away and in a similar state. Might be the same fungus...

Tom,

1. Because of the absence of mycelial felts, which are indicative for Fomes, no, as both Phellinus and Fomes are simultaneous white rotters.

2. Might be, might not be. Anyway, this definitely is Fomes fomentarius.

Its' a 110 ha 'park' in the vicinity of Antwerp, but not really urban. Gerrit knows this park: Vordenstein.

Yes, I do . I've often "used" Vordenstein (Brasschaat) for workshops on mycology and trees for Dutch and Belgian arborists or tree officers.

1. Would you agree if I rephrase it as 'there's a big chance this is ...' or 'there are clues pointing in the direction of ...'

2. The older fruiting bodies on the stem base actually ressemble pfeifferi very much. It's impossible for me to check this now, but when I get near this tree, will try to check.

Tom,

1. Yes, in this case one mostly refers to the fungus as Ganoderma cf. lipsiense or as Ganoderma lipsiense s.l. (including G. australe).

2. Nice documentation . Will you microscopically check the spore size too and also perform the "striking a match near the yellow sub-surface layer" test ?

1. We agree--admit it!

2. Identifying that pathogen would waste time--the tree is fecked.

3. Give it a rest!

4. IME, a valid ... Arboriculture works better with mycology, but it is not always impossible without mycological precision.

1. No, we don't, but it's quite obvious why you think we do and/or need us to.

2. Why post your snappy formulated hypothesis if you're not interested in a critical review by professionals and wanted to fell the tree regardless of any comment on your "diagnosis" in the first place ?

3. I will from now on, realising there's nothing to be gained for any of us in investing in "enlightening" you in the field of forest ecology, soil food webs, mycology and tree species specific ecosystems.

4. Why repeat all of this without answering my question concerning the last sentence ?

By using a microscope capable of determining whether the hyphae behind the melanine layer belong to an Armillaria species or that the black layer is of another (fungal : mostly ascomycete) origin.

More flat black stuff observed today--not on paying job but in my own woods.

Although the poor quality (and magnification) of the photo's makes it hard to say something sensible, the first and last two photo's could show melanine plaques, in the first photo of either the necrotrophic parasitic Armillaria mellea or A. ostoyae or of the saprotrophic A. lutea (= A. bulbosa) hollowing the tree inside out and in the last two photo's of either A. mellea or A. ostoyae decomposing dead wood outside in after the tree died.

The second and third photo could show melanine plaques, but one of the many black crusts forming ascomycete Sphaeriales, such as Diatrype stigma, seems to be more likely.

Anyhow, in all cases : microscope.

1. Lesions can be traced, rinsed and cautrerized, to lessen inoculum.

2. Has another treatment program been suggested?

1. How ? I thought Phytophthora was a soil oomycete/pathogen invading the tree by its roots.

2. Any thoughts or suggestions on other treatment programs ?

links to the elisa test

See Phytophthora : ELISA test.

not sure i fully understand

Getting shut down meaning the mycelium still is in contact with living tissue while (panic) fruiting from dead wood, which is a characteristic of biotrophic parasitic Ganoderma's.

Having been shut down meaning fruiting from dead wood, which is a characteristic of necrotrophic parasitic Ganoderma's.

I thought G carnosum thus far appears to be found MAINLY on yew?

In the U.K. yes, on the continent no, see my post on Ganoderma carnosum.

so why does it panic when its getting shut down by compartmentalisation?

Tony,

The answer is given in the question : "when it's getting shut down", not after it has been shut down.

up close you could see it developing, weird stuff ...

... they are, see my post on myxomycetes.

Phytopthora ... the outcome of the investigation

The investigation being performing an ELISA field test ?

Spotted this today any ideas ??

John,

This is the transitional phase from plasmodium to aethalia of a myxomycete or slime mould, because of the purplish colour of the remaining bits of plasmodium, it might be/become an Arcyria species.

... applanatum ... the necrotrophic nature of these brackets ... australe ... it is neither but in fact the necrotrophic G. pfeifferi being also beech specific, rarely on oak.

Tony,

Bit of a problem though, the perennial G. pfeifferi also is biotrophic parasitic .

My guess is Ganoderma carnosa although I know this is rare; however I am fairly sure that this is not Laetiporous. The second attached image is of the pore surface.

Davy,

This definitely is an annual Ganoderma species, but which species can only be determined by using a microscope.

only one small fruiting body and body language suggesting (at least some) decay. The tree condition was very bad,

2. with Fomes fomentarius in the crown.

1. This looks like panic fruiting by the biotrophic parasitic G. australe.

2. Are you sure it was not Phellinus robustus at this height ?

* Pholliota squarrosa on beech

* some monster Piptoporus betulina (more than 40 cm diameter)

* geotropy in Fomes fomentarius

* retracting spore layers of Fomes fomentarius on this old monolith

* Phaeolus schweinitzii on Pinus sylvestris

Tom,

, what tree species was the monolith with the Fomes with retracting tube layers ?

Considering:

* this tree has been felled (and therefore is quite dead) 1.5 years ago

* the FB's have been formed after felling of the tree and are now still active

* G. australe being a biotrophic parasite

 

--> can you still doubt this is G. applanatum?

Tom,

Yes I can, as long as it has not been microscopically identified by the size of the spores. With fungi, there's always an exception to the rules we make up for them . F.i. : G. australe is documented to be (rather poorly) decaying dead wood in vitro (Schwartze) and recently one has succeeded in having the biotrophic parasitic Grifola frondosa fruiting from dead oak wood.

1&2 bad picture of Pholliota spp. on beech on a old wound 6m high. Does not look like aurivella to me, but too high to be squarrosa

3&4 white slime mould? and G. applanatum

5 sterile lump of Fomes fomentarius??

6,7&8 I'm confused about this one: looked like Grifola frondosa at first, but on beech, then tought Meripilus, but does not look right either

9&10 Meripilus on Quercus rubra?

11&12 is this fomes fomentarius going 'bananas' because of the abundance of wood to decay? It's popping out everywhere on this recently monolithed tree

13&14 what does the body language of this Acer saccharinum tell you? Looks like it's slowly sinking over it's root base --> white rot? Or is this just an old graft?

15&16 Pholliota aurivella?

17,18&19 no idea, in the root area of old beeches

20&21 lousy phone pictures of a fungus on an old Pinus nigra stump; Armillaria??

Tom,

1&2 : Because of the height of and the fruiting from an old wound on beech : P. aurivella.

3&4 : Yes, Fuligo septica var. candida.

5 : .

6,7&8 : My bet would be on G. frondosa. Did you do the scratch test on the pores and did the pores turn black after a while/a day ? If so : M. giganteus, if not : G. frondosa.

9&10 : No, Grifola frondosa.

11&12 : Yes, being a necrotrophic parasitic, it's triggered to fruit by the monolithing of the beech.

13&14 : I think it's just an old graft.

15&16 : .

17,18&19 : Smell of bitter almonds or marzipan ? If so, Hebeloma radicosum.

20&21 : If the species is the same on both photo's, no Armillaria (white spores), but a species with rusty brown spores, could be Galerina marginata.