What the heck?

[Fungus Ken]

Stuck at home with a fractured leg and bored, I thought I'd trawl back through a few old photos and came across this one.



Never did find out out what it was. It was growing on a fallen branch of a deciduous tree, in Wales. I'm not even sure it's fungal.

Any thoughts on what it might be?

Although it does look like a set of nicotine-stained teeth, this is quite genuine and not a trick. They were definitely growing on the wood. In terms of size they would have been about child teeth-sized rather than adult teeth-sized.

It was possible to squish them between your fingers and the texture was a bit like a small plant bulb. There were no obvious structures under the microscope and there were no spores, so if it was fungal, it wasn't a mature spore-producing body.

This is also posted in the General Wildlife Forum, to increase the chances of someone giving me a clue as to what it might be.

HELP!

Bonus question - what is the bryophyte growing on the same branch? At least I can answer that one myself but I'll let others have a go to keep me entertained.

Ken

[solus]

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

Stuck at home with a fractured leg and bored, Ken

Oh, poor Ken.

If you're really bored, perhaps we could all send you our unidentified photos for consideration.

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by solus

Oh, poor Ken.

If you're really bored, perhaps we could all send you our unidentified photos for consideration.

Anything to relieve the boredom. I have to sit still with my left leg raised for a whole week to reduce the swelling, and if I do move, I can only hop around on one leg with crutches. Imagine trying to carry a cup of tea while balancing on one leg with a crutch in each hand and then hopping.

Ken

[badgerwatcher]

Really sorry about the leg, Ken.
I wonder if this is some sort of broomrape? I would go and look in various books, but I've just got a new armchair........

[Leif]

That looks like Cudoniella clavus given that the specimens appear quite large.

Here are some I found in Spring 1998.



Here is my description:

"milk tooth like jelly fungus on damp debris in bog diameter about 6mm. Top white smooth, sides white warty. Spores spindle shaped, smooth, no droplets, [snip] = (9-10)x4 um2."

Mine were found on very damp woody debris in a wet ditch, near lots of Mitrula paludosa. The damp habitat is usual and matches your specimens. I note that yours seem to have a roughness along the sides as do mine. But yours seem to have yellow-brown at the 'stem' base. According to the Swiss guides, the specimens are concave when young, so yours might be immature.

There is also the smaller C. aciculare/acicularis.

As for the bryophyte, pass.

[Leif]

Oh, and I hope you get well soon. At least you did the damage in a less interesting part of the year.

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by badgerwatcher

Really sorry about the leg, Ken.
I wonder if this is some sort of broomrape? I would go and look in various books, but I've just got a new armchair........

I entirely understand about the armchair. Broomrape is an interesting thought but why would it be on wood?

Ken

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by Leif

That looks like Cudoniella clavus given that the specimens appear quite large.

Here is my description:

"milk tooth like jelly fungus on damp debris in bog diameter about 6mm. Top white smooth, sides white warty. Spores spindle shaped, smooth, no droplets, [snip] = (9-10)x4 um2."

There is also the smaller C. aciculare/acicularis.

I think you may be on to something there, thanks Leif.

I'd recognise Cudoniella acicularis because I have seen this plenty of times. But I've never seen Cudoniella clavus and your photo and description look entirely possible. Some further research to do now.

Cheers.

Ken

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by Leif

Oh, and I hope you get well soon. At least you did the damage in a less interesting part of the year.

Yes, I found the last patch of ice that hadn't melted in Manchester, but as you say, it is the least interesting part of the year for wildlife in general. Falls in and around fungi season are definitely to be avoided.

Ken

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

I entirely understand about the armchair. Broomrape is an interesting thought but why would it be on wood?

Ken

Broomrapes are parasites that key into root systems, I think, so the chances are it isn't. Toothwort is a different structure with a stems etc.

I am not a fun guy with fungi.

Tell us more about the armchair? It sounds good.

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

Broomrapes are parasites that key into root systems, I think, so the chances are it isn't.

I think that's a reasonable deduction, given that this was growing on a dead branch.

Ken

[solus]

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

Imagine trying to carry a cup of tea while balancing on one leg with a crutch in each hand and then hopping.

Ken

Now, if you had a woman's logic, Ken, you would realise that you could stand in the kitchen to make said cup of tea, resting on one crutch, then stay put to drink your tea while leaning on the worktop. Sacrifices have to be made in such situations and your armchair will needs be one of them, for the duration of the tea ceremony, at least.

Alternatively, should we draw up a WABbers rota to pop round and make you the odd cuppa...???

[NickCantle]

Originally Posted by solus

Alternatively, should we draw up a WABbers rota to pop round and make you the odd cuppa...???

Only if I could play with the microscope while the kettle is boiling

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by solus

Now, if you had a woman's logic,

Isn't that what wives are for?

Ken

PS Don't tell her I said that.

[solus]

*Shouts* Mrs Ken....!!

I take it Mrs K isn't waiting on you hand and foot, then? Don't go upsetting her or she'll kick your footstool away...

[FungiJohn]

Sounds like you don't have leg to stand on Ken

Looking at your image Ken reminds me of a similar fungus I found last year.

Never seen the like of in book or field

My friend and mycologist Neil Barden made the following comment:

The fungus had clamp connections in the hyphae of the fruitbody. It was therefore a Basidiomycete ie not a cup fungus (Ascomycete - which are clampless). Therefore it is probably a young form of a polypore, but could be an Agaric ie a gilled fungi such as Pleurotus or pluteus.

I hope the leg gets better for the start of the morel season

John

[Garden Carpet]

Make your cuppa in a flask.. put the flask in a bag.. along with the chocolate biscuits.. and use the hand grip on the crutch to suspend the bag.. return to seat... enjoy!!!

Jaki

[Garden Carpet]

Henrya says, you stick to beer, you can hook the cans towards you from quite a distance and catapault the empties an amazing distance... using the crutch

Henya

[Fungus Ken]

Thanks for all the suggestions on how to cater for drinks in my predicament - I think I'll have plenty of opportunity to put them all into practice and see which works best.

Mrs K (ie Julie) is being a great help, as is daughter no. 2 (daughter no. 1 moved out into her own home last year) but there are those long hours during the week when everyone else is about their normal business (work/school) and I have only my laptop, WAB and the dog for company. And the dog is sulking because apparently I'm being mean and won't take him for a walk.

Ken

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

Sounds like you don't have leg to stand on Ken

Looking at your image Ken reminds me of a similar fungus I found last year.

My friend and mycologist Neil Barden made the following comment:

The fungus had clamp connections in the hyphae of the fruitbody. It was therefore a Basidiomycete ie not a cup fungus (Ascomycete - which are clampless). Therefore it is probably a young form of a polypore, but could be an Agaric ie a gilled fungi such as Pleurotus or pluteus.

Your first comment made me realise I need to look on the bright side. I do have one leg to balance on, so it could be worse.

I can see the similarity in the specimens in your photo and mine. I didn't find any clamp connections under the microscope but that's not definitive because if you have ever searched for clamp connections you will know they are not easy to find, and they can collapse. Also, even if they are present, in some species not all tissues have clamp connections.

At the moment I'm rather taken with Leif's suggestion of Cudoniella clavus but I need to look into this some more.

Ken

[badgerwatcher]

Now I'm worrying about the tea supply! I'd relocate the kettle full of water with cups and milk in cold flask. This could be replenished by adoring females before they depart.
My new chair is soft brown leather, with matching footstall and reclining back...and smells wonderful, and I keep falling asleep in it.....