Mystery Bracket Fungus

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by hamadryad

So cybershot That was a little bit techno for me are we saying it is Quercina?

Just for the record the zone lines as I pointed out and its condition for its age rule out Quercina for me all the way, I have also an image which I will download to the site of Quercina that is well over the stated max size.

The max size for many species is poorly represented in ALL these txts, fungal brackets shrink in size annualy or increase in size on the basis of avaliability of resource within its chosen substrate.

Classic example of this phenomina are to be found this year more than any other, the last three years in fact have been phenominal for the major wood decay fungi especialy.

i have within the last week photographed I.Hispidus of three feet wide, F. hepatica over 20 inches and today quercina at well over 300mm.

Quercina prefers to exit/fruit via the vascular system rather than through the Xylem rays/ side wall. common on Oak stumps as In the image i will download, called the stump bracket by some for this very reason.

I am 100% certain this is something other than quercina, it may not be Lenzites, but it is less quercina than it is lenzites for certain and judging from the size of the moss for scale this bracket is less than 100mm?

Returning this thread to the specific subject of the originator's opening post, and bearing in mind your obvious and impressive credentials and long time experience in a specialist field so closely associated with wood rotting fungi, we are going to have to agree to differ on this one. My closing thoughts are that neither the size (what does an inch or two matter between friends ) of this particular specimen (5 inches according to Heather which puts it more comfortably in range of the generally larger D. quercina) ) or the nature of the zoning on the upper surface are not as conclusive as the pattern of the pore surface. According to FOS: "The Oak Mazegill is not difficult to recognize. Other polypores with lamellate hymenophores are clearly different in habitus* and have distinctly more finely divided lamellae, e.g. L. betulinus, D. confragosa var. tricolor and Gloeophyllum species.".

And finally, in quoting a well known and respected WAB mycologist by stating that "the jizz is right" for my identification I would appreciate your take on the various examples of both Daedalea quercina and Lenzites betulinus lurking in the WAB Gallery**; just in case I am barking up the wrong tree completely

best regards

David

* unfortunately not confirmed in our case
** One notable exception is yet to be amended

[hamadryad]

It is the thickness of this bracket that makes me think otherwise, the depth of it, the lack of substance at the attachment.

but i have been known to be wrong, and i doubt it will be the last time i stand corrected!

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by hamadryad

It is the thickness of this bracket that makes me think otherwise, the depth of it, the lack of substance at the attachment.

but i have been known to be wrong, and i doubt it will be the last time i stand corrected!

"its o.k to be wrong, youll fel better about yourself afterwards!"

Hope you're feeling better

Cheers and a warm welcome to WAB.

David

[hamadryad]

LOL, I didnt say I think your right!

But I am big enough to agree to disagree!

The rim isnt fat enough, the thing isnt thick enough it looks too flimsey, would be very small for quercina, it isnt on an oak stump there isnt even a hint of brown or biege, nor the powdery/mushy residue they get with the age this one appears to have and the spore surface is too horizontal rather than angular.

but thats just my observation of Quercina, like i said ive been known to be wrong, but i stand by my opinion that it is not Quercina.

Hope we can still be friends though!

[hamadryad]

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by hamadryad

LOL, I didnt say I think your right!

But I am big enough to agree to disagree!

The rim isnt fat enough, the thing isnt thick enough it looks too flimsey, would be very small for quercina, it isnt on an oak stump there isnt even a hint of brown or biege, nor the powdery/mushy residue they get with the age this one appears to have and the spore surface is too horizontal rather than angular.

but thats just my observation of Quercina, like i said ive been known to be wrong, but i stand by my opinion that it is not Quercina.

Hope we can still be friends though!

Based on the elevation of the images supplied in the opening post I'm not sure I follow the logic of these observations, but I certainly wouldn't argue against your identification of the image you have just posted. Fits very well with the Mycokey examples:

images of Daedalea quercina

[NickCantle]

Yes, another nice example of D. quercina.

May I just say that no matter how accurate the books claim to be, the one thing we can never equip ourselves for is the variation in which fungi show. Anything outside of the criteria to ID a species definitely warrants question, but sometimes there are variations and changes that we'll never be sure about.

I've never heard of massive variation in said species, but I can be pretty sure that the poster's original bracket for ID is D. quercina, and yours is too.

[hamadryad]

do you see what I mean about the colour too? the photo which I took today for this purpose is a bunch of brackets well over a year old yet still have their biege colouring, but the mycokey ones do show the more pronounced zone lines as in the image were all discusing. the bracket at the start of this thread just is way to thin in profile and just too washed out and grey.

does the alder bracket have maze gills or pores? that fades grey, but cant remember if its pores, gills or maze?

[hamadryad]

and thanks to the link to myco key that is a usefull addition to my reference material and WAY better than the books ive been reading!

[NickCantle]

Originally Posted by hamadryad

the bracket at the start of this thread just is way to thin in profile and just too washed out and grey.e gills or pores? that fades grey, but cant remember if its pores, gills or maze?

Weathering and age will reduce the colouring substantially remember