Black gooey disc on Scots Pine

[watsthat]

I`d love one of our experts to give me some ideas on this one. It was about 30mm diameter and was on the point of complete liquidisation. The liquid stained brown and there appeared to be a fringe of spores around the outside of the perimeter. it was on an old Scots Pine log. I`ve looked right through Phillips and Jordan, (I know that they are not comprehensive). However; prone as I am to poring over anything concerned with the natural world and have been for some years now, I have never seen anything remotely like this before. I`ve tried to key it out, unsuccessfully. I just wonder if the late stage of the specimen was mis-leading and that it might have been more familiar in its earlier stages.



Pete

[CapAndBracket]

Around the edge looks like hundreds of tubes, this may be a slime mold,
try typing Stemonitis into google.

Cheers J.P.

[Hedge Witch]

Pete - try this web site:
Boschi di Cantù 28.05.06 , Forum Natura Mediterraneo - Forum Micologico - Forum Naturalistico - Macrofotografia

All the best

[FungiJohn]

Here's Stemonitis axifera if it helps.



John

[watsthat]

Thanks everyone, it certainly looks like a stemonitis sp. I couldn`t find an exact match but the capillary tubes, which I originally took to be a fringe of gills, seem to be diagnostic together with the chocolate brown staining. Another small step another question!

Thanks again

Pete