Phlebia rufa possibly

 

Phlebia rufa possibly on a really wet well decayed fallen birch branch. The colour is supposed to be very variable indeed, with brown, yellow or pinkish tones being seen in different images. However it may be worth noting that Phlebia acerina, if recognised in Europe, is similar but tends to be lighter coloured and yellower. The two taxa used to be regarded as conspecific (and still are in Europe) but are now claimed to be two separate species, confirmed by DNA studies in America.  

There are other ways to tell the two apart. A test worth carrying out is KOH, as Phlebia rufa should darken upon application, whereas Phlebia acerina should not. Generally, basidiomata of Phlebia rufa are thinner and less robust than those of Phlebia acerina. The margins of Phlebia acerina are usually entire and often detach from the substrate, whereas those of Phlebia rufa are fibrillose and closely appressed - I didn't see finrillose margins. In addition. the hymenial surface is interrupted by white, felty to woolly mycelia in many specimens of Phlebia acerina.

It is rather a moot point, because even in the American text, Phlebia acerina is not recorded in Western Europe.

One way to separate Phlebia rufa and Phlebia radiata is in the arrangement of the "polyps" which are never circular in Phlebia rufa and do tend to be radially arranged in Phlebia radiata. Ph;ebia radiata is also geerally more brightly coloured, sometimes quite a bright orange.

Stereum rugosum on Hornbeam

 This extensive Stereum growth on a Hornbeam stump growing from an old coppice stool is more likely to be Stereum rugosum than Stereum gausapatum. 

It is generally accepted that gausapatum is generally to be found on oak, although it can also be found on a few other trees such as hazel, birch, beech, sweet chestnut. Stereum rugosum however is commonly called the Broadleaf Bleeding Crust because of its much wider host range. It is difficult to know how reliable all this information is, but the indicators of a fairly light colour, little obviously pale margining and the presence of a degree of cap formation with a black upper surface all tip the balance towards Stereum rugosum.

The literature can be confusing. For example Bernicchia doesn't even mention the suggestion that rugosum can be a multilayered perennial, and says that the crust is only up to 1 mm thick.   

Tremella mesenterica

Walking through Fox Wood today a fallen thin branch by the side of the path showed the bright colours of a Tremella, Yellow Brain, a sight which eventually penetrated my brain sufficiently for me to pick the branch up. 

When closely examined I thought I did find a Peniophora quercina crust close by as well, suggesting the Yellow Brain is actually Tremella mesenterica, which feeds off Peniophora as opposed to Tremella aurantia which feeds off Stereum hirsutum. There are many, many more mesenterica records than aurantia records on the NBN gateway, so that seems to fit. Also, maybe aurantia occurs more in the warmer parts of Europe?

Much pinker by eye, as opposed to by camera flash.

Robins and a Wren in Fox Wood, two Blackbirds at the entrance.

Identifying Stereum gausapatum

 

There was a particularly interesting effused or resupinate crust on the dead but still strongly attached branch of an oak tree opposite the drive to the old hunting lodge. 

This was definitely bleeding so it should be one of the following two species. However, there are often some considerable difficulties in distinguishing the differences between Stereum rugosum (Pers.) Fr. and Stereum gausapatum (Fr.) Fr..  

Stereum gausapatum often appears generally darker and perhaps browner rather than yellower in many images but by no means all. Both are often photographed as a light brown or peachy colour. Descriptions in books are highly contradictory.

According to Buczacki it is markedly wavy and sharp-edged meaning? margin with a paler edge. However I cannot see most of this replicated in any of the Facebook photos, except the pale edge, which may not be totally unique to gausapatum. 

Does Stereum gausapatum guttate more than Stereum rugosum? This is certainly suggested.

If the crust is obviously perennial then it is more likely to be Stereum rugosum the only perennial species, that does seem to be agreed.

Stereum rugosum or gausapatum possibly.

This is a branch to watch in future years if possible. I am wondering whether the crusts are more concentrated around the edge of the blackening - which itself is perhaps development of the sclerotisation of previous fungal growth.

This crust bleeds reddish when cut, scraped or rubbed hard. On a broad-leafed tree this should indicate either the Oak Bleeding Crust, Stereum gausapatum or the Broadleaf Bleeding Crust, Stereum rugosum. The first may have a tendency to perenniality and consequent layering, while the latter may have a tendency towards guttation, and is reputed (?) to be darker in colour. It's all tricky!

and closer:

towards end of branch...

Rubbed on left, scraped on right:

and closer:

Stereum subtomentosum possibly in Fox Wood, Dene Park

 Having a quiet undisturbed walk in Fox Wood.

Thinking this might be Stereum subtomentosum, although I didn't get any obvious yellowing it did sort of gradually turn a little darker over a few hours in the house. The decision was mainly guided by the narrow attachment of the bracket to the log, about 5 mm across on a 40 mm bracket.

The upper surface is tomentose, but not very obviously so, which fits with FOTE. Oddly enough however, not even a mention of this species in Geoffrey Kibby's book.

The undersides:

The brackets had dried quite hard and woody 24 hours later.

Updated a month later - today I definitely thought I saw a yellowing when the hymenophore was rubbed hard. This however was particularly obvious when I tried a very young cap indeed, that hadn't yet even developed the red-brown colours of the mature cap. Examples are towards the top right, with one top-left. That's the trick! p. 972 FOTE.  

In Buczacki, there is mention of a black line between the hymenophore and the tomentum. I saw little sign of this on the cross sections I cut, except possibly in one section on the "older" tissue near the stipe, so I am not sure how useful this indicator might be.  

In the photo below you can see older and younger caps. In the older caps the white edge is now much less clear, and the central section near the stipe is now much more green-grey.

Be careful - on Google Images there are much paler brackets to be found - the bright red-brown of these caps may not be characteristic of the species.

Postia tephroleuca aka Postia lacteus or ??

 

Walking up through Fox Wood at Dene Park today as the main woods were so busy, I came across a partly buried log, about a foot in diameter, with what appeared to be a couple of old Daedalea quercina brackets on the end and two very white lumpy brackets on the side.

I suspect these to be a Postia species, based on the superficial resemblance to a couple of images in the ID books. 

Starting off with the solid features of species in the genus, I measured the depth of the tubes at just under 1 cm. The two members of the species characterised by tending towards blue colourations on the cap, Postia caesia and Postia subcaesia have much shallower tubes of the order of 6 mm or less in brackets than can often be thinner. Also no signs of blue, nor an obviously tomentose cap surface, so we I think we can fairly safely eliminate these two species.

That leaves us with Postia stiptica and Postia tephroleuca. The log should have been deciduous wood, so for an apparently white Postia, that would push us away from Postia stiptica, which grown primarily on conifers, towards Postia tephroleuca, perhaps more commonly referred to as Postia lacteus. 

I tried to taste a small bit of the flesh, but didn't come away with much of any sort of taste, which again suggests P, lacteus rather than P. stiptica, generally described as distinctly astringent.

And after taking it home, there were definite tinges of grey developing on the cap surface, a third indication of Postia tephroleuca. Finally the pores appeared slightly laciniate, rather than rounded as in Postia stiptica, a feature noted for Postia tephroleuca by Geoffrey Kibby.

However are the pores far too large?? If so, could it be Aurantioporus fissilis??