Biscogniauxia nummularia - Beech Tar Crust or Charcoal Canker

 

I think this is most likely to be Biscogniauxia. Stated to be a significant parasite of Fagus sylvatica if the environmental conditions stress the tree in various ways - increasing risk drought is perceived as a bit of a worry for European Beech in Southeast England.

This is a section of dead hardwood in the trunk of one of these trees to the east of the main track from the car park at Dene Park. The fruiting body "erupts" through the bark nicely.

Are there any clues to why this bark appears dead in this image here? There is good evidence that these species occur in healthy living trees as endophytes and then become invasive under water stress conditions. Could the initial carving have possibly caused this overall wound that allowed a strip canker to get to work, and we are now seeing the results as the fruiting bodies appearing, perhaps later through the letters themselves?

Here, these fruiting bodies are just appearing recently on the heartwood of this large branch on the ground that tore away from the trunk maybe a couple of years ago. 

The species used to be known as Hypoxylon nummularium: this should now always be known as Biscogniauxia nummularia (Bull.) Kuntze. This genus is distinguished from Hypoxylon principally in lacking coloured stromatal pigments and in having an initial covering layer, lost at maturity, which bears conidia. Many species have effused and flattened rather than pulvinate stromata.

Biscogniauxia atropunctata is a saprophyte and parasite affecting oaks east of the rocky mountains, It starts as a blue-white fruiting crust with tiny black pimples, eventually darkening to black patches on dead and dying wood.

Biscogniauxia mediterranea is well known as the causative agent of charcoal canker in cork oak and is a serious problem in Portugal.

Biscogniauxia rosacearum may possibly be one of the main fungi that feed on grape vines and almonds.

Biscogniauxia species that produce interesting secondary metabolites can also be found in deep sea sub-floor sediments!

Arcycria denudata possibly

Picking up a fallen branch from the leaf litter, I eventually spotted a few brick-red slime mould fruiting bodies, which might be the relatively common Arcyria denudata, purely on the basis of colour and probability. Microscopy would be needed for a reliable identification. I might be able to find the branch again, to see if the condition of the fruiting bodies has improved at all following the freezing conditions over the past week.

Skeletocutis nivea sl perhaps

 

This seems a likely candidate because: 

The pores are tiny and very close together, about 7 - 10 per mm. only just visible in the image

the crust is relatively thin, with pores probably less than 2 mm deep

The pores can be found very close to the edge of the hymenium

A very pale colour, only just lightly browning with age

The margins are turning up - just - in this case

So if you didn't look closely, this specimen could perhaps be confused on first view with either Byssomerulius corium or even Stereum rameale?

The correct name could perhaps be Skeletocutis semipileata or nemoralis, depending on which author you follow!

Sweet Chestnut

While looking at the Oriental Chestnut Leaf Galls, I came across upper side mines of Tischeria ekebadella, milky white, with frass ejected so not building up in the mine. 

Calocera and Phlebia

 

Calocera cornea and possibly Calocera viscosa as well

This was growing on one of the logs placed as car park dividers, which I had thought to be Pine rather than a broadleaved such as Beech. Tentatively ID'd as Calocera cornea.

This was growing on a possibly very well decayed Yew log just along the path on the right from the car park to the SE corner of the wood. Tentatively Calocera viscosa.

This is what the "C. viscosa" looked like last year, somewhat more convincing but not much bigger!

Crusts and Jellies by the Parish Boundary

 

Could this just possibly be Scytinostroma?? The general appearance, waxiness, thickness and combination of colours are good I think. Must go back to sniff it!

An older fruiting body I believe.

Hymenochaete rubiginosa almost certainly, although the hymenial surface is a bit lighter than I think it should be..

Exidia truncata, Witches' Butter, said to be found on attached or recently (really??) fallen branches of Oak and sometimes others such as Hazel.

Crusts towards Hookwood - Steccherinum, and Stereum gausapatum

This looks like a sample of Steccherinum ochraceum, sensu latu, mixed in with other crusts (hmm, that's less usual) on a fallen and decaying oak log just by a large kids shelter on the big Yew near the first junction.

See also: https://www.mushroomexpert.com/steccherinum_ochraceum.html

This appears to be the young, developing phase. The spines should be 0.5 - 1 mm, almost bumps rather than spines at first, with a salmon colour is fairly characteristic of this stage, but the darker more ochre or orange colours, perhaps with longer spines (or are these different micro-species such as S. bourdotii?), appear later, when the crust may get up to 3 mm thick.  However, I didn't check whether the margins were easily separable from the substrate, so I may have to go back anyway. 

Kibby states that this "species" is widespread and common, particularly in the south, which Hugill and Lucas agree with.   

It was accompanied by a crust of the same colour but apparently very different morphology: Could this perhaps be some fresh but nibbled Junghuhnia (Steccherinum) nitidum? Not absolutely typical.

Beyond the bin-to-corner track, heading into the Birch dominated section, I came across a dead Oak branch which I think was covered in Stereum gausapatum, the Bleeding Oak Crust. However I think I should stick to Stereum sp to be on the safe side!

The good red-brownish colour is fairly indicative, in comparison to the more greyish Stereum rugosum. However the spores really do need measuring.