Brackets and a Crust

[cervinae]

This bracket was found quite happily growing from a well rotted log in a mixed strip of woodland. I've been puzzling over it these past couple days and think it's Ganoderma australe (southern bracket) due to it's white underside and growing on dead wood. But another part of me was wondering if it could be Perenniporia fraxinea but I've read nothing suggesting that like dead wood.





The next bracket I found growing from a fallen branch (I think after the branch had fallen) and I'm reckoning it's good old Trametes versicolor (turkeytail). I returned ti to it's original position once photographed





Found on a living oak in moderate quantities. I'm wondering if it's Hymenochaete tabacina but from what I've read it's habitat is dead wood of deciduous trees.



Regards, David

[hamadryad]

your idents are spot on, the southern bracket (ganoderma australe was adspersum is very unlike perenniporia when your familiar with these.

your first crustose job is probably stereum rugosum, the white margin and brown tones distinguish this from others, though i see above the slight suggestion it was slightly pubescent, indicating S. hirsutum, hard to pin without seeing it in the flesh.

[cervinae]

Thankyou Hamadryad, alas I'm not familiar with brackets and crusts (yet) but I'm working on it . They should be something to keep me going through the depths of winter (well, the hardier brackets at least)

Regards, David

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by hamadryad

your idents are spot on, the southern bracket (ganoderma australe was adspersum is very unlike perenniporia when your familiar with these.

your first crustose job is probably stereum rugosum, the white margin and brown tones distinguish this from others, though i see above the slight suggestion it was slightly pubescent, indicating S. hirsutum, hard to pin without seeing it in the flesh.

Tch Tch Hama. You are well aware of the perils of jumping in and saying this is Ganoderma this and that, so we won't go into that again. Lets just say Ganoderma sp.

I only see 1 'crustose job' and to me this could well be H.tabacina although this prefers dead wood of Hazel or Willow generally.

On Oak, it could well be Stereum gausapatum, the paler S. rugosum is found on a wider range of broadleaved trees. Both these Stereums 'bleed' when scratched, but they need to be fresh or damp.

So next time you come across a possible H.tabacina, give it a scratch !
And by the way, although you say it was on live Oak, the fungus would be growing on a dead section.

Neil.

EDIT: I may be wrong, but if you have a hand lens 10x plus, it is sometimes possible to see the distinctive 'setae' that are embedded in the fertile surface of Hymenochaete species, but yours was a Stereum anyway !

[cervinae]

I still believe G. australe is the closest match for the first bracket, but if they're hard to differentiate I'll chalk it up as simply Ganderma sp.

Cheers for the additional info on using the scratch method, wasn't aware of that test. Will certainly try it on any future possible specimens. Don't know if it helps (probably not) but this is a shot from further away where you can see how liberally it covered the branch (and I'm now trying to recall if that section was dead although if my recollection is clear it was also on the main trunk)



Regards, David

[fairplay]

OK, I shall amend that to 'dying wood'

Neil.

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by cervinae

I still believe G. australe is the closest match for the first bracket, but if they're hard to differentiate I'll chalk it up as simply Ganderma sp.

[Regards, David

A quick look at a spore would solve the problem David. Save one of the leaves from under the bracket and it can be the first test of your new microscope

Mal