Fungus

Might be you have a different genotype of Fraxinus excelsior in te U.K., as on the continent ash is (one of) the last one(s) to develop its foliage after it has blossomed and is (one of) the last tree(s) to shed it's leaves.

Because fruit trees, such as Prunus, Malus and Pyrus, are associating with endomycorrhizal microfungi, which have a less extensive mycelium complementing the tree's root system then ectomycorrhizal macrofungi have, these trees will try to get to water and nutrients with their roots growing in the direction of easily reached and tapped nutrient rich sources, which may be much farther away from the tree then 3 x the canopy diameter. A collegue once found and followed a root of a Platanus, which had its tip 30 metres away from the tree tapping water from a pond .

I'm sure, that the ISA UK/I charter (or the Arbtalk administrators) will put it on the Arbtalk calendar in due time.

Magnification : 20 x

Rob & Rob, I think Rob Arb's suggestion is correct , this is not leakage because of an infection with (rhizomorphs of) a necrotrophic parasitic Armillaria species, but oozing of sap or resin from frost cracks in the bark and living tissues of this Araucaria.

That depends on the planning of the ISA UK/I charter, but it will probably be in the Easter holidays (April).

Maybe it's part of the package deal for attendants of my seminar on the subject of MTA and the TSSE in spring 2012 in the U.K.

Documentation of the climbing capacities of the myxomycete Mucilago crustacea on the stem of a flower of Lady's mantle in my front garden. ---

Sloth, How about these photo's of a mite or tick speed walking on the pores and a larva coming out of a tube of Coriolopsis trogii then ?

David, ... or the white matter, the mycelium of the brain .

David, Did you read my answer to your before question on ectendomycorrhizal fungi ?

No, as the reference would be me and this information will be published on my dvd on MTA and the Tree Species Specific Ecosystem in 2012.

This phenomenon is caused by the shrinking and thus locally shortening of the long fiberous cells in/of the stipe and is not just confined to Laccaria species. Besides, it might be functional changing the position of the gills so the wind can do a better job dispersing the last formed ripe spores. And one will never find this curving and drooping of stems in Russula or Lactarius species, because their FB's completely exist of round cells and that's why they are so brittle and unsuited for making fungal paper of them.

After prolific blossoming as a stress or panic reaction triggered by the diminishing vitality of the tree, there's no way back, because the tree cannot contol the (re)dispersion of energy (and DNA) in the acorns formed after pollination of the flowers.

1. See my post on sterile acorns. 2. Yes, by assessing the presence or absence of generalistic and/or tree species specific ectomycorrhizal macrofungi from the perspective of their successive places in the tree species specific life cycle.

Giels, In case you need support in assessing, identifying and documenting the pathogen, you can contact the Forestry commission.

Gollum, Did you notice the poorly developed and probably sterile acorns and can this be interpreted as a sign of panic fruiting of the oak ? See : Sterile acorns.

So the macrofungi infecting the wound with their flying about spores and in future fruiting from the (pollarded) tree are not counted as participants in the potential niches for biodiversity -- a mycologist and ecologist might find apropo' to create -- then ?

1. What oaks, Quercus robur ? How old, what phase of its life cycle ? Any (tree species specific) ectomycorrhizal macrofungi around ? What does the crown and the foliage look like ? 2. First thing to do is to get the macrofungi identified (see the Ganoderma thread) : - as the interaction between Q. robur and the decomposing strategies of the mycelia of G. lipsiense (necrotrophic parasite) or G. australe (biotrophic parasite) differs considerably regarding the extent and speed of development of the white rot with selective delignificaton of the central wood column of the tree, with G. australe being the most detrimental and dangerous of the two Ganoderma's (see the Ganoderma thread and my album on Ganoderma australe : Tilia, Acer & Quercus rubra), - necrotrophic parasitic Armillaria species start decomposing wood outside in once (a part of) the tree has died and because of that mostly are no threat to the stability of the tree (stable tree "corpse") in the first phase of infection with rhizomorphs and/or melanine plaques causing the shedding of bark. See my album on Rhizomorph's Armillaria and my Quercus robur & Armillaria ostoyae thread. After this, standard VTA-procedures are to be followed to determine whether the trees should be felled or conserved, and if so, what measures should be taken to keep the trees safe.

As I said before, this definitely is an ectomycorrhizal Ramaria species, but whether it is R. flavescens or R. flaccida just can be determined by using a microscope, so instead of filing it as Ramaria cf. flavescens, you now must flie it as Ramaria spp. (unidentified).

Coniophora species, such as C. arida, C. puteana and C. olivacea, can only be identified 100 % certain with a microscope.

I mentioned the combination of long straight often bifurcated branches with sharp pointed tips as characteristics of R. stricta, so this one looks more like R. flaccida.

Tony, Not the "wild" or homeless one, but one of the Coniophora species, such as C. puteana or C. arida.

Ramaria cf. flavescens.

No, I think this is R. stricta because of the long and often bifurcated branches and the thorn- and tooth-like tips.