I walked over to a line of Alders with one noticeably struggling tree in the middle of the line, and indeed there were multiple early fruiting bodies of Inonotus radiatus, (Mensularia radiata) the Alder Bracket, "lumpily" resupinate and quite velvety at this stage, apricot or tan coloured, with limited pore development, the basidiomes forming the typical "ladder" feature up the trunk. The trunk was already splitting and lifting.
Low Weald Wildlife
Wildlife in and around Hadlow in the Low Weald of Kent, and further afield.
Tuesday 5 November 2024
Inonotus radiatus at the Farm Shop
Sunday 3 November 2024
Coniophora puteana or arida possibly?
So on one branch my eye was drawn to a few small ovals of white fringes, each about an inch long, which it turned out appeared to be surrounding some thin dark brownish-grey oval crusts.
With this unusual colour combination, perhaps these represent early development of a Coniophora species crusts, perhaps Coniophora puteana, a common cause of wet rot, or perhaps another species such as Coniophora arida? These and others are found in the south of England, so both are possibles. That's all I can think of, anyway!
Saturday 2 November 2024
Hapalopilus nitidans, the Cinnamon Bracket or Tender Nesting Polypore.
Thursday 31 October 2024
Junghuhnia (Steccherinum) nitidum or just possibly lacera?
Slightly more lacerate than usual, but not a British species I think. Impossible to resolve without measuring the spores under a microscope, but I should have tried to measure the pore density at least.
Tuesday 29 October 2024
Stereum rameale or Chondrostereum purpureum perhaps?
Found on a small fallen branch about 15 - 20 mm thick. Each cushion with a darker central hub, highly shaggy on the reverse side, often curled up to form a one sided cap. Fertile surface cracked so could be old and decrepit maybe?
I am completely stumped within Stereum as a genus. The fertile surfaces look like photos on the internet named as "Stereum rameale" but the shagginess is completely out, a much longer pile than Stereum hirsutum, supposedly the hairiest one in the genus. Only thing I can think of that is quite this shaggy is Silverleaf, Chondrostereum purpureum, perhaps old cushions from last season, so that all the purple has been long ago washed out?
Saturday 26 October 2024
Wet Rot, maybe
I think this must be the very young stage of Coniophora puteana or one of its close relatives. There is no colour in the centre, but the texture is very reminiscent of this species, coupled with the furry nature of the edges, the fine white extensions. Interesting to think what these might be for, evolutionarily? Would I be able to find this log again? Very doubtful.
Thursday 15 February 2024
Bjerkandera adusta
The Smoky Bracket, Bjerkandera adusta, is a very common fungus, which can be found in a fully prostrate form (effused), as well as as, perhaps much more commonly, caps (reflexed).
It should always be pressed on the pore surface to see if it darkens upon pressure. Also cross-sectioning the tissue should reveal the grey pore layer contrasting well with the white flesh. Bjerkandera fumosa has lighter coloured pores, separated from the white flesh by a dark line.
Today, there were a number of individual fruiting bodies, mostly resupinate, on fallen branches of Oak in the first Oak compartment to the north of the car park at Dene Park.
There was evidence I think of the very yellowed flesh of previous fruiting bodies below and behind the current ones, and some slightly yellowed flesh of the current brackets visible in the gaps of the larger fruiting bodies seen here. Some clear and some cloudy liquid droplets on this lower surfaces. In some places the flesh is reflexed to start cap formation, although why is less clear.
This other large resupinate fruiting body appears to show more small developing caps, and also maybe a couple of patches of the pore surface darkened by pressure.
Here the fungus has used a leaf as support to produce a thin resupinate structure quickly and easily.
Here is an old cap, decaying, brown and fibrous.
And here is a Springtail, possibly Tomocerus vulgaris!