Cotton-wool like fungus

[RobSutton]

This thing has puzzled me for years. It appears regularly each winter on dead twigs and sometimes bigger branches but it's growth is always triggered by heavy frosts or temperatures well below freezing. All the growth here took place over one night (last night) and it is very short lived - as soon as temperatures rise above freezing it disappears only to reappear after the next really cold night. It can all go in a matter of a couple of hours.

I've never managed to get any under the microscope - on bringing it back into a warm(ish) house it just falls apart - in minutes - not really leaving very much to look at.







Any ideas anyone?

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

I've never managed to get any under the microscope - on bringing it back into a warm(ish) house it just falls apart - in minutes - not really leaving very much to look at.

hi Rob

that comment makes me suspect that this isn't fungal - does it dissolve in water?

Chris

[NickCantle]

I think this grows in my freezer. Will be interesting to see what it turns out to be. Ice suspect it's something interesting.

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

I think this grows in my freezer. Will be interesting to see what it turns out to be. Ice suspect it's something interesting.

Feeling quite a twassock now - I took a slide out and put of this mysterious thing on and a cover slip and bought it back in and nothing - ice is what it it! But why does it only "grow" on rotting twigs and branches? It's had quite a few of here fooled I can tell you - time to take up a new interest I think, knitting perhaps!

The height of some of these "growths" was about 10cm - amazing how it forms so quickly.

[NickCantle]

LOL I can just picture you getting annoyed at it 'disintegrating' on the slide

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

LOL I can just picture you getting annoyed at it 'disintegrating' on the slide

You must admit it does look like a living thing ............ doesn't it

[NickCantle]

I do agree, a Hericium or something I must admit, you were very close, thinking logically et al

All the growth here took place over one night (last night) and it is very short lived - as soon as temperatures rise above freezing it disappears only to reappear after the next really cold night

Talk about getting warmer

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

I do agree, a Hericium or something

Thanks Nick - I'll ignore the other part of your post.

[NickCantle]

LOL naturally

It's a very interesting thing though. A fascinating structure isn't it? I wonder why it 'grows' like that

[Jim Ford]

Possibly the ice filaments are extruded as the ice forms and expands in the pores of the waterlogged rotting wood.

Jim