Unidentified Polypore - Help please

Lancashire Lad · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 10:39 PM

Found this today, growing on a fallen log.

A number of Polyporus varius are situated in the wood at the moment, but this one isn't showing much sign of the expected very darkened base to the stipe, (this and the very odd shape is throwing my tentative attempts to ID it).

Would it most likely be just an odd shaped P.varius?

Regards
Mike.

Lancashire Lad · #2 (**permalink**) 14-07-2009, 06:42 PM

Revisited this today, and the base is now much darker (almost black in parts) so I'm now assuming that it is indeed another Polyporus varius.

Regards,
Mike.

hamadryad · #3 (**permalink**) 30-08-2009, 07:35 PM

that looks like the elegant poly pore to me lad! good find

flaxton · #4 (**permalink**) 30-08-2009, 08:19 PM

Welcome to WAB.
Where did you get the name "Elegant polypore" from?

Mal

cybershot · #5 (**permalink**) 30-08-2009, 08:22 PM

Polyporus leptocephalus (Jacq.) Fr., Syst. mycol. (Lundae) 1: 349 (1821)

Boletus calceolus sensu Withering [Arr. Brit. pl. ed. 3, 4: 389 (1801)]
Boletus nigripes With., Bot. arr. Brit. pl. (London) 4: 438 (1776)
Boletus leptocephalus Jacq., Misc. Austriaca Bot. 1: tab. 12 (1778)
Boletus elegans Bull., Herb. France (Paris): pl. 46 (1780)
Boletus nummularius Bull., Herb. France (Paris) 3: pl. 124 (1783)
Boletus lateralis Bolton, Hist. fung. Halifax (Huddersfield) 2: 83 (1788)
Boletus varius Pers., Syn. meth. fung. (Göttingen) 1: 85 (1801)
Polyporus elegans var. nummularius (Bull.) Fr., Syst. mycol. (Lundae) 1: 381 (1821)
Polyporus varius (Pers.) Fr., Syst. mycol. (Lundae) 1: 352 (1821)
Polyporus varius var. nummularius (Bull.) Fr., Syst. mycol. (Lundae) 1: 353 (1821)
Grifola varia (Pers.) Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. (London) 1: 644 (1821)
Coltricia nummularia (Bull.) Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. (London) 1: 644 (1821)
Coltricia leptocephala (Jacq.) Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. (London) 1: 645 (1821)
Polyporus nummularius (Bull.) Pers., Mycol. eur. (Erlanga) 2: 44 (1825)
Polyporus elegans (Bull.) Trog., Verzeich. Geg v. Thun vor Schwämme (Flora, XV): 593 (1832)
Polyporus varius var. elegans (Bull.) Gillot & Lucand, Cat. Champ. Marn. Suppl.: 327 (1891)

Habitat: On dead and decayed wood of deciduous trees, usually large logs, stumps or fallen trunks of Fagus. Less often on Acer pseudoplatanus, Betul, Corylus, Fraxinus, Populus, Quercus, Salix spp., Sorbus aucuparia, Tilia and Ulmus spp., and a single collection supposedly on Taxus.

Notes: Very common and widespread. Perhaps better known as Polyporus varius.

Extract from Checklist of the British & Irish Basidiomycota

Also commonly known as Blackfoot Polypore.

hamadryad · #6 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 08:28 AM

I got "the elegant polypore" common name from blacks nature guides mushrooms and toadstools?

But i am steering clear of common names from now on, its not worth it! lol sticky subject, sticky as treacle in here!

cybershot · #7 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamadryad

I got "the elegant polypore" common name from blacks nature guides mushrooms and toadstools?

But i am steering clear of common names from now on, its not worth it! lol sticky subject, sticky as treacle in here!

A wise decision: When it comes to debate on this subject you may as well 'go tell it to the marines', or in this case the BMS working party that is tasked to come up with yet more fanciful tags for the remaining fungi not so far dubbed in their "List of Recommended English Names for Fungi in the UK"

David

Where appropriate the classical, folklore and socio-industrial origins of such names are interesting asides

hamadryad · #8 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 09:34 AM

are there enough words contained within the English language to ecompass all the mycota for a name!

cybershot · #9 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamadryad

are there enough words contained within the English language to ecompass all the mycota for a name!

They are giving it their best shot!

It's a right old Gomphus clavatus (or Pig's Ear to you)

hamadryad · #10 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 10:15 AM

I do agree with the hardcore scientists about the latin, however, not everyone here on this site or coming here to identify a fungus they may have found on a walk and shot with their phone say will be so "geeky" and want or understand the latin. I love latin and also think it is the "perfect" description for anything we need to describe scientificaly, but lets face it with only 8 taxonomists in the U.K and no set course or direction for an education in mycology just how many poeple out there do you think feel the need to "know" their latin?

It might be easier if we taught latin from an early age in schools, why dont we? after all most peoples fear of it is in sounding like a xexexexe cos of the pronunciation, sorry for the spelling of that before you all go on the attack!

I wish I had, had a classical education, but Im just a chav from a council estate, but I am working on it.