Queries from Sunday's foray

cybershot · #1 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 11:03 PM

John Parsons and I visited Baynes Nature Reserve and Bowdown Woods near Greenham Common, Berks on Sunday and we have been left with a few puzzlers with which we we would appreciate some help:

1. Trametes suaveolens (?)

(a)

(b)

(c)

It seems to tick most of the boxes on referring to Jordan p 106, but being annotated rare it's best not to jump the gun before seeking further confirmation.

2. Cup fungus:

(a)

Found growing on soil at base of large beech stump. Cup 5cm across

(b)

Found growing higher up on the other side of the same beech stump. Cup 3cm across.

3. Phellinus ferreus (?)

Phillips (latest edition) p.308 indicates "respunite, initially forming small cushions 1-2mm across"
(I have also found an image on the internet of a pure white species of Oxyporus
http://botanika.bf.jcu.cz/mykologie/...arginatus1.jpg)

TIA

David

Leif · #2 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 07:15 AM

1) Pseudotrametes gibbosa. It's very common. (I bet the name has changed though.)
2) Peziza species: P. varia, P. micropus or P. repanda since it looks to be on woody debris.

GerryNick2 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 07:28 AM

With regard to number one it would certainly be a good match for the image in Jordan but then again it would be a good match for many photographs of T.gibbosa.
You say you ticked most of the boxes with regards the description in Jordan, did this include checking to see if there was a distictive smell of aniseed and whether both the upper surface and the pore surface bruised brownish. If the results of these tests were positive then there is a strong probability that it was T.suaveolens.

Suaveolens means sweet smelling refering to the strong smell of aniseed. Suaveolens is also highly sought after by Dyers for the purple dye it produces.

Gerry

cybershot · #4 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 08:05 AM

Thanks guys, I can now see why this pretentious bracket assumed it's original psuedo- tag; parading itself around as something it isn't LOL! It would seem that both these old charlatans, T. gibbosa and T. suaveolens adopt the same mantle in their dotage and only when young, fresh and sweet smelling can you tell them apart. Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

David

Fungus Ken · #5 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 11:56 AM

Attention to detail is crucial. Luckily the important information for identifying your Trametes is present in the photos in this particular case.

Trametes gibbosa is the only species of Trametes we get in Britain that has radially elongated pores. It's a very distinctive character and the shot of the hymenium does show this, particularly towards the point of attachment to the wood. So it is Trametes gibbosa, as Leif said, and not Trametes suaveolens.

I am also a little dubious about how typical the green colour in the upper surface of the image labelled Trametes suaveolens in Michael Jordan's book would be. (I have the original version so I'm not sure if the image has been changed in the revision). Green staining from algal growth is very typical in Trametes gibbosa but the literature I have consulted (Polyporaceae by Bernicchia and European Polypores by Ryvarden and Gilbertson) doesn't mention this character for Trametes suaveolens.

Then again it's been a long time since I have seen Trametes suaveolens. It seems very uncommon in the places I visit.

As for your Phellinus, I'd agree with the genus but I couldn't take it any further, myself, without microscopy. There are several species that all look very similar to me.

Ken

GerryNick2 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

I am also a little dubious about how typical the green colour in the upper surface of the image labelled Trametes suaveolens in Michael Jordan's book would be. (I have the original version so I'm not sure if the image has been changed in the revision). Green staining from algal growth is very typical in Trametes gibbosa but the literature I have consulted (Polyporaceae by Bernicchia and European Polypores by Ryvarden and Gilbertson) doesn't mention this character for Trametes suaveolens.

Ken

I agree with you Ken, the picture in Jordan is extremely dubious.

Gerry

cybershot · #7 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GerryNick2

I agree with you Ken, the picture in Jordan is extremely dubious.

Gerry

And looking at his entry for T. gibbosa on p.105, no wonder confusion reigns

Its the ability of these species to go from chunky at the margins to quite acute in maturity.

cybershot · #8 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 01:00 PM

Any more clues to the ID of 2 - possibly Peziza sp?

Fungus Ken · #9 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybershot

Any more clues to the ID of 2 - possibly Peziza sp?

And just before I get scolded for taking the thread off topic

, I think Leif has taken the identity of this specimen as far as possible from a photo. The identification of Peziza species is not to be taken lightly.

Ken

FungiJohn · #10 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

And just before I get scolded for taking the thread off topic

, I think Leif has taken the identity of this specimen as far as possible from a photo. The identification of Peziza species is not to be taken lightly.

Ken

No problem Ken

Now about this book! where can I buy it

I bought the full series of these books whilst at a NT cafe ... so didn't really spend much time checking before I bought .... honest