Woodwarts on Hazel

 

I found some dead stems in a Hazel stool by the side of the muddy steep slope on the main path round the woods. On this one were some Woodwart looking fungi, apparently quite old and solidified, all along the stem. Judging by the colour and shape I would still say that this was fairly like Hazel Woodwart, Hypoxylon fuscum. I was unable to get any samples for KOH testing. 

 

I think there might be a separate tar crust under the peeling bark. Might be worth peeling back a bit more bark to see if there are any fresh surfaces to examine.

This next one looks different though, blacker and also erupting out of the thin bark. This was found near the Scambles, but fairly near the grass triangle end. Its just got a very different "jizz" to it.

   

A tar crust on Ash - Biscogniauxia petriniae possibly

This is a highly tentative ID. I was having a look at the patch of Ash coppice that as been hard hit by Ash Dieback. All the patches of fruiting body now appear very dessicated and featureless. However when you do look at the last image, which is the only one patch on the whole stem revealing any papillae, it is brownish with slightly papillate perithecia, which fits. I really don't think it is worth trying to extract any pigments! As a cautionary tale, you can get mixed populations of tar crusts on Ash, making things even more complicated. 

 

A tar crust on Beech - Biscogniauxa nummularia, Nemania sp or Diatrype stigma?

What I think is probably a Beech branch on the forest floor, so this could be Biscogniauxia nummularia, a Nemania sp or Diatrype stigma, all quite common tar crusts on this particular tree, although there could also be quite a few others that this could be, mostly in the many Ascomycete Pyrenomyocete fungi. 

On Tuesday, I found a dead dried out Beech tree with a huge streak of a tar crust up its trunk. This would fit with the classic model of Biscogniauxia nummularia, running from the roots upward as seen in Lynne Boddy's paper. In this case it is uncertain whether it is drought, or the death of the tree from another cause, which encouraged this excessive growth and fruiting of the fungus.

Basidioradulum radula or Radulomyces molaris?

By the path beside the front Spruce department I came across a blackened fallen log and on the underside were a Slime Mould and a Toothed Crust. After thinking of Radulomyces molaris for a while, I went for a little while for the Toothed Crust Fungus, Basidioradulum radula, but eventually returned to Radulomyces molaris.

I think that I have seen some older fairly decrepit specimens of this same fungus in different places in Dene Park, suggesting that is fairly well established in the woodland. My only concern at the moment is that Basidioradulum is supposed to be found mainly on attached branches of deciduous trees according to Laessoe and Petersen - and I think I mainly see it on the ground! Maybe I just haven't seen the fresh stuff! 

Here is today's photograph, the second one a closer view:

see how the teeth have changed direction - was the log moved?

Further up the log was some possibly Badhamia utricularis, (or not) a myxomycete that feeds on fungi, possibly feeding off this Radulomyces molaris or Basidioradulum radula.

Bimbling in the front Beech compartment

Had another look for Holly Parachute and again no luck. 

Found some old, battered and rather algal covered Turkey Tail on a fallen branch in the dead hedge, rather pretty in the sweeping colour patterns.

A little bit earlier in the day, but on a much gloomier afternoon.

 Cor, definitely a bit gloomy today. But a great walk nevertheless, really succesful on crusts, although I didn't find anything particularly dramatic! 

This was in the oak compartment just north of the acid grassland compartment. Here is a crust going greenish and rotten I think. Algal colonisation? No idea on the crust, could be almost anything.

I know it wasn't very exciting but it is important to think how a crust changes its appearance from developing through to mature to (apparently) senescent and finally decaying.

I also found some Woodwart on what could perhaps have been hazel or oak. I really have to get better at this!

In the front Beech compartment I failed on Holly Parachute, even on finding any holly leaves! And then there was this crust, that I thought should have been Fuscoporia, but the photos might indicate a very mature Byssomerulius corium. I thought I could now see wrinkles that I had originally taken for pores. However it looked very thick to me! The colour was not impossible, but a bit darker than I had been used to. It looked very tidy, whatever it was. 

and a closer view:

This is another crust below, a little more solid with a blackened edge. It may be on a fallen Beech branch. Note the slightly darker colours of some of the patches to the left. The patch of crust lower down has been covered with a black layer. Looks a little like Hymenochaete corrugata, but that is generally found on Hazel. I didn't bring a hand lens to check for setae, or KOH to check for blackening. Will I be able to find it again?

and again a closer view:

In the front Beech Compartment, there was a whitish crust on Birch bark, very much integrated into the bark. I wonder if it could perhaps be Hyphodontia sambuci again?

When I got out onto Knight's Drive, there was a newly fallen dead oak branch, with plenty of green foliose lichens, bits of what I think was a woodwart and lots of what I thought could have been initially quite fleshy Peniophora quercina (Pers.) Cooke, with its particular colour changes as it wets and dries and blacker margins that curl up as it dries. This is the best example I have seen to date. I was very pleased to see what I think is this crust again, and I wonder whether it actually does better on horizontal branches higher up in the canopy (Andy Overall), rather than lower down or even on the ground? 

Further along the branchlet, which was about an inch in diameter. Slightly more dried out I think.

More fungal wanderings

 

Took some photos of one of the oak trees by the car park to go into the new Fungi Forever app.

Sycamore crust.

Over the path by the Pines in the mossy floor area.  

Fuscoporia

The grey crust??

Exidia plana

Hymenochaete corrugata just possibly, on hazel but it might have been Fuscoporia of course, no real evidence either way. This was a crossing dead branch that had been stuck to the live upright branch. 

I soon got to the section of woods close to Ringlet corner, uphill up towards the bridleway.

Just on the corner there was a small Elder Bush with what possibly seemed to be Elder Whitewash, Hyphodontia sambuci,  on the base of the stems.

and closer,

On the same bush, there were some nice Jelly Ears, Auricularia auricula-judae, higher up the stem,

and closer,

Piptoporus betulinus

Turkeytail