Fungi on sycamore and maples

[Chris Yeates]

Hello All

A couple of weeks or do ago, when there was talk of more or less rewarding host species for fungi it was mentioned that Acer is not particularly good , and I set myself the challenge to see what I could record on maples and sycamore over the course of a year.

A key factor in all this (as far as I understand it) is that while sycamore does form mycorrhizas these are almost exclusively VA mycorrhizas – not ectomycorrhizas; so forget associations with Russula, Lactarius, Cortinarius, Amanita, boletes and so on.

Anyway at the weekend I collected on and around a fallen sycamore branch in an area of secondary woodland within what is probably originally ancient woodland on Coal Measures near Huddersfield. Taking Xylaria hypoxylon, Rhytisma acerinum, Nectria cinnabarina and Stereum rugosum -which were all present - as read (we all know what they look like) here are some others:

The dark mini-spines sticking out of the petiole and main veins on the underside of a leaf are the beaks of the ascomycete Gnomonia setacea ('setacea' because the spores have a ‘bristle’ at each end):


Chaetosphaerella phaeostroma, with its fruitbodies nestling in a forest of black hairs:


And its characteristic spores:


Coral Spot’s cousin Nectria coccinea - as often happens, in relative profusion when it occurs:


The resupinate Peniophora incarnata (rather pale pinkish here, but the spores and cystidia were spot on):


And a real bonus (and rather rarely associated with sycamore wood in Britain it would appear from the records) Sarcosphaera austriaca (again checked microscopically):


So I’ll keep at it and please feel welcome to join in: the only "rule" is there must be a real association with Acer, not just happening to be growing in its vicinity

Cheers

Chris

[RobSutton]

Probably a very common occurrence but our most conspicuous Acer inhabiting fungus at Malham Tarn is Oxyporus populinus.

[Chris Yeates]

[quote=RobSutton;442654]Probably a very common occurrence but our most conspicuous Acer inhabiting fungus at Malham Tarn is Oxyporus populinus.

hi Rob

hey . . . thanks for getting into the swing of things (bet it's been a bit blustery across the Tarn today!)

brackets are not what I would call one of my strong suits () and to my eternal shame O. populinus is a species I cannot recall ever seeing (and it makes me wonder, in my early days, what I might have named it as if I had!)

cheers

Chris

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

Hello All

A couple of weeks or do ago, when there was talk of more or less rewarding host species for fungi it was mentioned that Acer is not particularly good , and I set myself the challenge to see what I could record on maples and sycamore over the course of a year.

A key factor in all this (as far as I understand it) is that while sycamore does form mycorrhizas these are almost exclusively VA mycorrhizas – not ectomycorrhizas; so forget associations with Russula, Lactarius, Cortinarius, Amanita, boletes and so on.

Anyway at the weekend I collected on and around a fallen sycamore branch in an area of secondary woodland within what is probably originally ancient woodland on Coal Measures near Huddersfield. Taking Xylaria hypoxylon, Rhytisma acerinum, Nectria cinnabarina and Stereum rugosum -which were all present - as read (we all know what they look like) here are some others:

The dark mini-spines sticking out of the petiole and main veins on the underside of a leaf are the beaks of the ascomycete Gnomonia setacea ('setacea' because the spores have a ‘bristle’ at each end):


Chaetosphaerella phaeostroma, with its fruitbodies nestling in a forest of black hairs:


And its characteristic spores:


Coral Spot’s cousin Nectria coccinea - as often happens, in relative profusion when it occurs:


The resupinate Peniophora incarnata (rather pale pinkish here, but the spores and cystidia were spot on):


And a real bonus (and rather rarely associated with sycamore wood in Britain it would appear from the records) Sarcosphaera austriaca (again checked microscopically):


So I’ll keep at it and please feel welcome to join in: the only "rule" is there must be a real association with Acer, not just happening to be growing in its vicinity

Cheers

Chris

Chris

I'll add my sycamore ones when I've got them onto my database and can filter them back out .. I seem to be collecting faster than I'm getting on to the database though ..

BTW, what are the microscopic differences between Nectria cinnabarina and N coccinea? Also the difference between VA mycorrhizas and ectomycorrhizas?

Melanie

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

. . . the difference between VA mycorrhizas and ectomycorrhizas?

Melanie

I'll wimp out and point you at: Mycorrhiza - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . . . essentially vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizas are formed by a small group called the Glomeromycota and are an area for the specialist; ectomycorrhizas can if conditions suit produce fruitbodies of the well-known genera mentioned above (and others)

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

BTW, what are the microscopic differences between Nectria cinnabarina and N coccinea?

N. cinnabarina is almost always accompanied by the often much more frequent pinkish cushions of the Tubercularia state; that is probably the easiest character - coccinea often has roughened spores as well

(I know what you mean about the data/notes/photographs that accrue starting to overwhelm one - you have to remember how important dealing with that aspect of ones mycology is)

good hunting Melanie!

C

Chris

[CapAndBracket]

Hi Chris, i took a bit more notice of sycamore this morning, maybe the same
nectria you posted, also found quite a bit of Auricularia auricula-judae
growing on sycamore.

Cheers J.P.

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

I'll wimp out and point you at: Mycorrhiza - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . . . essentially vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizas are formed by a small group called the Glomeromycota and are an area for the specialist; ectomycorrhizas can if conditions suit produce fruitbodies of the well-known genera mentioned above (and others)



Chris

Thanks for the link. I almost wimped out reading that, well the mind started to glaze over ... but I perservered and did link on to a few other pages too. I think it is probably necessary to read a few books to get to understand what is actually going on there. Also I hadn't realised that Laccaria bicolor lure and kill springtails to obtain nitrogen, so it appears that some, probably many fungi have a much more complex ecology than we at first imagine when we start looking at fungi. Or (a few Wikiclicks later) that some fungi might actually be able to break down radioactive minerals to make them non-radioactive ... I know some plants are used for bioremediation, hadn't realised that mycoremediation was also used.

Melanie

[CapAndBracket]

Had to check this with the scope first (incase i had made a mistake, but
thanks Chris for Chaetosphaerella phaeostroma, something i would have
normally walked past.




X1000 in a drop of water (note unripe spore to left of ripe one).


X2500

By stretching the image 250% a bit more detail is visible, any of those who are
getting better quality micrographs (maybe save and manipulate as bitmaps) may
be able to get some really good results trying this.

Cheers J.P.

[Gerel]

Had a look at my nearest sycamore today and found these.

Another vote for Auricularia auricula-judae



Exidia or old Tremella ?



I think a Marasmius sp. growing on the roots.



Tar spot (oops just noticed Chris' comment about taking this as read)



And a mystery (to me)



Steve

[CapAndBracket]

Suspect your last one is Datronia mollis.

Cheers J.p.