fungi or disease? ID

[squishy]

though it has always intrigued me, i am new to identifying fungi, so if i've missed something obvious, dont be to hard on me

i saw this on a birch tree after some dripped on to me from over head. it had a sort of gelatinous texture.

is it some kind of disease, or is it fungal? could it be sap? i've never know sap to like like that though



its confusing me. the fact some dripped off the tree on to me is making me think its not a fungi, but i'm to new to the area to be able to say much.

li'l help?

[Chris Yeates]

hi

not sap - that wood looks dead . . . of course something can be a disease and fungal

it could be a member of the Tremellales - jelly fungi, though they don't "drip off" - possibly an Exidia species (they are generally parasitic on other fungi)

occasionally one finds blue-green algae (strictly not algae at all) on various surfaces - they can be various colours but never seen white

that's all I can suggest

cheers

Chris

[Lancashire Lad]

Definitely a fungi squishy.

It is one of the jelly fungi, I'm not certain but I think this is one of the Exidia species, possibly Exidia thuretiana (whch does favour growing on beech).

Regards
Mike.

Edit - yours is on Birch , but on reading my books Exidia is quite common, and does grow on most deciduous trees.

[squishy]

thanks guys

[Gerel]

Another possible is Myxarium nucleatum a jelly fungus that looks very much like yours and grows on dead wood.

Alternatively your tree may have a really bad cold

Steve