Bracket on Laburnum Stump.

[juliejam]

Found this 5inch bracket growing on an
old Laburnum Stump..

Help with ID appreciated..

Many thanx



Julie

[juliejam]

Here is an additional photo of the smaller bracket in the rear of the first pic..broken off at ground level on the roots of the tree..there was no stem..
this bracket was not around this time last yr..

measures 9cms across and when you give it abit of polish it shows a red kidney bean in colour.underside off white..pores turn brown when brised...when cutting a small piece off a clear resin appears and dries quickly. staining paper yellow, and it did not melt in a flame



Julie

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by juliejam

Found this 5inch bracket growing on an
old Laburnum Stump..

Help with ID appreciated..

Many thanx



Julie

Apparently a Ganoderma sp. Julie but which one eludes me - possibly G. resinaceum but I have never heard of that on Laburnum !

However I suppose it would be possible since both G. australe and G. applantum are both known (or at least reported) as single records of each from that host.

Can you supply a photo of the underside of the brackets in the first photo ?

Nick

[juliejam]

Here are two pic's of the underside of the smaller bracket..sorry i cant remove the large bracket it just wont budge..

Julie

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by juliejam

Here are two pic's of the underside of the smaller bracket..sorry i cant remove the large bracket it just wont budge..

Julie

OK Julie - got it now - you have Heterobasidion annosum there !

Ahough a very common fungus (especially on conifers), this record is of interest since it would appear that you have the first record on Laburnum for Britain !

It was originally thought to occur only on conifers but is known (now) to occur on lots of host species other than coniferous ones but is relatively uncommon on 'broadleaved' taxa.

More than one species may be involved (i.e there may be several species of Heterobasidion lurking under the one specific name i.e H. annosum) and they may be host specific, but no-one has ever got round to working out the taxonomy yet.

If you can dry it off, this is the type of thing that Kew would like to have since it's a new host record ! Especially if sent with a bit of the wood of the stump (also dried off) so as to verify the host !

Interesting !

Nick

[NickCantle]

Excellent news! Well found Jules

[flaxton]

Clever girl

[juliejam]

Many thanx Nick , im well pleased..Will cut the remaining larger bracket in the photo off tomorrow at the base with part of tree stump, then go ahead and dry it out..let me know if you will how long should i allow it to dry and to whom i should send it to..

thanx again ..

Julie

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by juliejam

Many thanx Nick , im well pleased..Will cut the remaining larger bracket in the photo off tomorrow at the base with part of tree stump, then go ahead and dry it out..let me know if you will how long should i allow it to dry and to whom i should send it to..

thanx again ..

Julie

Julie - a word !

If you can LEAVE the remaining bracket on the stump that might be the better idea since it will give the fungus a chance to grow !

You could dry and send one or other of those other brackets that you have removed and photographed already, and as for the wood sample all you need is a piece (either cut off or axed off the stump) dried and sent with the fungus !

To dry polypores just stick the bracket, preferably upside down i.e with the pores surface facing upwards, in a WARM place (airing cupboard or above a radiator - which you might have to leave on a low setting for a day or so) - what is important is that you have a WARM place with a CONSTANT AIR FLOW so that the thing dries completely - otherwise they go mouldy in the post !

Don't put it in an oven or such like since that just cooks the material and ruins it !

Let me know how it goes !

Nick

PS It may take a few days to dry but will be obvious since the fruitbody becomes quite lightweight - it may help if you can carefully cut the fruitbody in two (dries quicker as well !) - also you don't need to send the whole fruitbody, especially if it's a big one - half will do as long as it's got all the representative bits (pores, flesh, upper surface etc). If you can get a small but mature fruitbody then send the lot.

[cybershot]

Interesting developments Julie, well spotted. Another new A to Z entry!

David