Fungus

So you think, I know the size of a 1997 new pence ? But anyhow, the only way to be 100 % sure of the species is ... by using a microscope : P. tuberaster has spores of 12-15 x 4-5 µm and P. arcularius of 5.5-8 x 2-3 µm.

P. tuberaster has more or less circular to slightly elongated dentate pores of 0.5-2 mm, while P. arcularius has far more elongated polygonal pores of 1-2 x 0.5-1 mm. Besides, as I can't have a look at the surface of the cap (scaly in P. tuberaster and rather smooth without scales in P. arcularius), I can't decide on either one of these two species by looking at the pores (and stipe) alone.

Tom, Yes, it does, as I. cuticularis is not documented from Tilia (yet) and their FB's don't have whitish pores. By just looking at the photo, I think it may be old brackets of Bjerkandera fumosa (Rookzwam).

No, the territorial war would probably end undecided and both mycelia would co-exist within the boundaries of their territories.

1. The tree being a relatively vital Quercus robur and the hoof shape of the perennial FB's partially growing on top of one another. 2. Yes, IMO you should.

Two examples of G. lipsiense fruiting from dead wood (probably beech) long after the tree was killed from last week's monitoring of a 150 years old mixed woodland. ---

Without microscopical identification, I'm 95 % sure this is G. australe.

1. Both. After germination, it needs a certain amount of cellulose from decomposed wood to form hyphae and mycelium, which then are covered with melanine to protect the hyphae from acids produced by the tree (Quercus robur, Castanea sativa) or present in the soil (acidification) and to prevent the ingress of spores or hyphae of other species. 2. If the mycelium of Armillaria ostoyae "encounters" the mycelium of A. mellea, the first one kills the second one with its self produced species specific fungicides and takes over its territory and that's how the invasion of A. ostoyae from eastern Germany to the western parts of Europe within a period of 15 years is explained. 3. Melanine is a bio-polymere or pigment, which - just as the sugar polymere chitin - is formed by converting the sugar polymere cellulose, which is about 70-80 % of the total constituents of all woody substrates. 4. No, they only have the capacity of short term storage of sugar polymeres for "maintenance" purposes and development of the mycelium, so they need to constantly feed from the substrate, especially when they start fruiting. 5. Yes, they can "lift up their own tracks" while moving on. Besides, fungal parasitic species can recycle the mycelia of the macrofungi, they kill in the process, to form their own fungal tissues from. And perennial Ganoderma species f.i. "recycle" the sterile content of their FB's to form new tube layers from.

I said macroscopical, not microscopical characteristics, so you can keep your money in your pocket until she really gets into mushrooms .

Conclusion : without microscopical identification, it's impossible to give the remnants of what once was a macrofungus a name.

That highly depends on whether the infection is limited to the limb joints or has invaded other parts of the tree and especially the trunk below the limb failure.

Tony, Nice photo's . What Polyporus species is on photo 9 and 10 ? P. arcularius ?

with spores producing hyphae forming a mycelium inside rhizomorphs or underneath plaques covered with a layer of melanin.

Rob, Since 1996 there has been a lot of SEM research on and genetic fingerprinting of macrofungi with revising lots of genus and species names as a consequence.

Published in 1996.

If she wants the species in her pictures identified, more information is needed on the habitat (tree species) and the macroscopical characteristics of the species, that are not visible in the photo's . Otherwise she'll get answers like there is a bolete in three of your pictures .

In beech, the same type of limb failure can be caused by the mycelium of Pholiota aurivella white rotting the dead wood of the unstable joint of two limbs (see photo). ---

Sloth, 1. As there was no tree species mentioned and because of the smooth bark of the trunk, I assumed it was a beech, but even if it is an oak, my above analysis of the cause of the limb failure still is valid. 2. Yes, quite normal in the situation of unstable limb joints of Fagus and Quercus robur/rubra, as is the case with this tree. 3. Armillaria mellea/ostoyae fruiting from the mycelium, that is white rotting the wood and partially covered with black melanin layers. For the interaction of Armillaria and Quercus, see my Quercus robur & Armillaria ostoyae thread.

This is an often happening limb failure in - from a "wood mechanical" viewpoint - unstable bi- or multifurcated beeches, caused by the mycelium and rhizomorphs and/or plaques (the black melanin layer in the second and fourth photo) of necrotrophic parasitic Armillaria species, which is mostly A. mellea on beech. The pale brown coloured white rot caused by the Honey Fungus can make the tree unstable in itself, but on top of that, beeches often react with the formation of secundary roots growing towards and into the moist rot to uptake water and nutrients. When the roots become thicker, they start pushing the poorly connected intermediate zones of the fork apart, leading to what has happened to your beech. Once Armillaria mellea has invaded parts of the tree, there is no way of stopping it from spreading further into and via the living tissues and dead wood of the tree. Also see my Beech & Honey Fungus thread.

Gollum, 1. Nectria galligena causes bark and cambium necrosis and is a superficial soft rotter. 2. Schizophyllum commune and Trametes (= Coriolus) species are secundary saprotrophic pioneer white rotters, that superficially decompose dead wood outside in. The type of intensive white rot of the central wood in the photo's probably is caused by Pholiota aurivella or Polyporus varius.

I assume, you want an ID : Calocera viscosa.

What name did you give to the species in the first photo, not the Rob species , but the mushroom ?

Pete, I just translated the Dutch term "in het wild" , meaning outside buildings, i.e. in "nature". And its significance is, that it probably is not infecting processed wood inside buildings, but fruits from a mycelium, that developed in the wood of coniferous trees, that was already colonized by spores during the time the unprocessed wood was (temporarely) left behind in the forest or stored outside the saw mill.

David, Although I would like to assume you're right , I think it's directed by the process of the primordium of the FB coming from the mycelium in the soil underneath the stump following the line of least resistance for surfacing while decomposing cellulose with its hyphae along the way.

Pete, Nice documentation . 1/2/3 : Tapinella (= Paxillus) panuoides , which is only found on processed or "free range" coniferous dead wood. 4/5 : It looks a lot like the mycelial and first fruiting phase of C. marmorata, a species, I've never seen fruiting outside buildings (yet).