Fungus

Even if it is a young oak, in this phase of its life cycle its roots have to be connected to the root system of the older tree to produce one or a few FB's of Russula's or any kind of other ectomycorrhizal macrofungi with big energy consuming FB's. Also see : this post.

Janey, So you overlooked my answer to your question on the stretching process of the impudent Phallus too then ?

Only 5 metres for a tree species, which can send out its water searching roots more then 25 metres away from the base of the trunk ? Also see : this post.

Three examples of macro- and microfungi on insects, two on a pupa of a butterfly (Lepidoptera) and the last one on a fly. Photo 1/2. Cordyceps militaris Photo 3/4 : Paecilomyces farinosus Photo 5 : Entomophthora muscae. ---

David, Fraxinus is associated with endomycorrhizal microfungi, so the mycelium/ectomycorrhiza of the Russula's must be on the roots of another tree species.

An example of bug wars : a Common green lacewing larva killing and "sucking dry" a female Hollyhock weevil. ---

I can also update you on another field experiment with insect parasitic nematodes in the same region with very promising results. The nematodes, which were dissolved in water and sprayed on the OPM nests, killed about 60 % of the caterpillars. There was one location where the result even was 100 %. To avoid the nematodes also killing caterpillars of other butterfly or moth species, the spraying should take place before the month of May.

From laboratory research and fields experiments is known, that the larvae of the Common green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) eat all kinds of insects and their caterpillars or larvae. In The Netherlands, last year the killing and consuming of OPM caterpillars by the larvae of C. carnea was documented, after which close to my home a field experiment was started to determine whether the larvae can be used for bringing down the numbers of OPM caterpillars. Once the results are made public, I'll keep you all posted. The photo shows the not before documented fatal encounter between a green lacewing larva and a female Hollyhock weevil (Rhopalapion longirostre). ---

Rob, I'm not sure, but I suppose these are the endings of radial rays, i.e. "sleeping buds", from which twigs or branches can be activated. A photo of "spikes" on the trunk of a poplar, which was debarked by rhizomorphs of a Honey Fungus, follows. ---

Nice, a dirty mind is a joy forever . By the way, why not Eliana, an Italian girl's name meaning sun ? But all joking apart, both Nectria fuckeliana and the grey mould Botryotinia fuckeliana (anamorph : Botrytis cinerea) were named after the mycologist Karl Wilhelm Gottlieb Leopold Fuckel. And I think he would have been more bothered if he had known, collegues would posthumously name two parasites after him . About the meaning of names in other languages. I have a German friend, who has Knob (as knob in Knoblauch = garlic) for a family name. He only recently found out what his name means in English after his daughter moved to Hongkong. And you can see lots of Dutch walking the streets with plastic bags with V&D on it .

Rob, It looks like one of the black and yellow flies you also can see in the photo of David Humphries & a little more flies of 05-10-10 09:10 PM. Do notice what this fly probably has been sitting on and then ask yourself why it is circling around your head .

Yes : Spinellus chalybeus, S. macrocarpus, S. gigasporus and S. arvernensis, but none of them is described having Phallaceae as substrate.

A complete 15-20 centimetres high FB develops within 8 hours and stays erect without needing a blue pill .

David, I remember seeing the last photo before and you mentioning Spinellus fusiger also being present, which is exceptional, because as far as I have seen and documented it, S. fusiger is restricted to smaller species of Agarics such as Mycena species.

Janey, Inside the "egg", the water is stored in the gelatinous layer between the outer leathery "shell" and the compressed FB (see cut in half egg). Once the process starts, the water is drawn into the cells at the base of the stem and from there on "rises up" while enlarging the cells and stretching the entire honey comb structure of the FB.

M. caninus has an orange top, M. ravenelii a pink to pinkish reddish top, so this is M. caninus.

Even more fascinating, once you realize the phallus doesn't grow, but stretch (hydraulics) with a speed of up to 2-5 centimetres an hour. See this text on Phallus impudicus and the photo of a cut in half devil's or witches' egg and a "bare" phallus. ---

No, probably not. Because they have tiny wind spread seeds, birches can germinate on/in all kinds of substrates, including moist dead wood, cracks in the pavement and gutters, which have not been cleared of debris of leaves. In it's pioneer phase, as a seedling this birch could rely on the ever present mycelia of endomycorrhizal microfungi for water and nutrients supply. Later on, its roots must have been colonised by the mycelium of one of the three ectomycorrhizal macrofungi, i.e. Paxillus involutus, Scleroderma citrinum or Thelephora terrestris, which have not lost their ability to decompose dead wood and often are present in stumps and subsurface wood, while waiting for new symbiotic tree partners to arrive. Once the roots reached and penetrated the soil, according to the life cycle of the tree species, the succession of tree species specific ectomycorrhizal macrofungi could start resulting in the "adolescent" tree as shown in the pictures.

Andrew, It's also in my Encyclopaedia (page 242) together with 4 other Agrocybe species and on my CD-rom together with 5 other Agrocybe species, of which 4 (also) grow on wood, however not on trees, but on heaps or among thick layers of wood chips. And it's very popular in France and Italy, where it is cultivated on wood logs or trunks (poplar). See : Fungi all edible medicinal other mushrooms Agrocybe cylindracea.

David, Because their owners incite them to do this, see : Vandalized Taxodium.

This "birdtable" with a Fly Agaric for an "umbrella" was found nailed to a tree at 2 metres height in the middle of a dense mixed forest and far away from one of the few foot paths in the German Eifel . I still wander who put it there and for what reason, because it would have been a hell of a job to regularly deliver food to this location and besides me being on an off track field trip, not often people will have passed to witness this nice piece of "artwork" anyway.

Not just in the U.K., but not even in Europe, from which only the very rare B. montana (see photo from the biosphere reserve of Zwieseler Waldhaus, Bavaria, Germany), a (root) parasite of 600-800 years old Abies species, is known. ---

As I already understood from the start , but because I could not find the word in my English dictionary and are eager to learn new things, including the meaning of words in a foreign language, I looked it up on the internet with the before cited result , with which I wanted to "confront" you by returning the joke .

David, With the meaning of the slang word "malarky" being "exaggerated or foolish talk, usually intended to deceive" in mind ? Thanks for the compliment .

This is Ileodictyon cibarium, see hiddenforest.co.nz fungi under Phallaceae.