Laetiporus sulphureus?

[Bill S]

Hi all

This is the first time I've come across what I suspect was Laetiporus sulphureus. I found it detached from the host tree underneath a healthy looking Oak, which I thought was a bit odd. The colour of the upper surface was not bright at all, a weak pinky-orange colour with some pale yellow, but the pores underneath varied from bright lemon yellow through to a very pale yellow. There was no way of knowing how long it had been lying on the ground for. It had quite a pungent smell, and not that pleasant to my nose.

Does it often just fall off the host tree or is it usually pretty firmly attached? The flesh was solid but parts of it were a bit dry and crumbled easily. I couldn't see evidence that it had been brought down by a falling branch but obviously could have been.
Can anyone confirm my ID please,

Many thanks in advance

Bill

[Chris Yeates]

hi Bill

I'm sure that's what you have found . . . . how high up the tree had it been growing? The answer is that at this stage, actively growing, it would not just fall off the tree

I would suspect Homo destructivus here

cheers

Chris

[Bill S]

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

hi Bill

I'm sure that's what you have found . . . . how high up the tree had it been growing? The answer is that at this stage, actively growing, it would not just fall off the tree

I would suspect Homo destructivus here

cheers

Chris

I thought that too, I couldn't see any sign of how high it had been growing but with the tree full of leaves I didn't have a great view. Maybe I was looking too high and it had been growing low down.

Thanks Chris


Bill

[hamadryad]

laeti does fall of relativley quickly after sporalating, and if its gotten crumbly then it was certainly ready for the fall.

The oak being apparently healthy is due to laeti being a heartwood parasite of only weak pathogenicity. It only consumes heartwood and enters via wounds, usualy summer branch drops. i think this is why from a co evolutionary point of view it is a warm weather sporalater, a similar role is found in Inonotus hispidus on ash.

theres been an incredible amount of laetiporus about this year, and ive found some of the biggest ever this year. it also acts saprophyticaly (deadwood) on the fallen limbs and trunks of wild cherries and oak for many years after they fall.

[Bill S]

Originally Posted by hamadryad

laeti does fall of relativley quickly after sporalating, and if its gotten crumbly then it was certainly ready for the fall.

The oak being apparently healthy is due to laeti being a heartwood parasite of only weak pathogenicity. It only consumes heartwood and enters via wounds, usualy summer branch drops. i think this is why from a co evolutionary point of view it is a warm weather sporalater, a similar role is found in Inonotus hispidus on ash.

theres been an incredible amount of laetiporus about this year, and ive found some of the biggest ever this year. it also acts saprophyticaly (deadwood) on the fallen limbs and trunks of wild cherries and oak for many years after they fall.

Thanks for the extra info, it's much appreciated.

Bill