Foreign fungus

[BROCSMAN]

I know this is not about Britain, but as there's not much else happening I thought this might be of interest. I took this photo a couple of years ago in the woods above West Vancouver, and I've just come across it again. It looked like it was going to produce a conventional, agaric-shaped fruit body, albeit pointing downwards. And as for those drops along the side...

Any ideas what it might have been?

[solus]

Originally Posted by BROCSMAN

Any ideas what it might have been?

Might have been on the booze perhaps!

Sorry, couldn't resist - it just happened to be the first thought that sprang into my grubby mind.

[flaxton]

I am pretty sure it would have been a recognisable "agaric shaped" fungus until it was attacked by another fungus (Hypomyces?).

Mal

[BROCSMAN]

Yes, you're probably right, but I've never seen Hypomyces in this droplet form. Is that how it first appears?

[mollisia]

Hello,

this is a bolet attacked by Hypomyces chrysospermus s.l.
It's getting soft by the Hypomyces and therefore is sunken downwards.

best regards,
Andreas

[The Woodman]

The intrigue is getting the better of me. I was on Vancouver Island in August and came across a similar fungus of varying ages, all growing on fallen Western Red Cedar. I took several images of what appeared to be young growths and all were individually formed - polymorphic - different shapes.

I saw BROCSMAN's species and believe it might have started out looking like this

before it grew some more, bent over and started "sweating".

I've only found one more image of the same species but a different shape, almost double headed. None of the ones like this I saw ever developed a cap or even resembled a conventional type and I think BROCSMAN's is just a chance form that could resemble a young or infected capped species.


I may be totally wrong with my presumption and am happy to be corrected.

[mollisia]

Hello,

yes, I'm afraid, but totally wrong hits the point
Your fungus is a young exemplaire of Ganoderma lucidum (or a closely related species). It must have been hard, at least as hard as e.g. cork, whereas the fruitbody of BROCSMANs fungus was as hard as e.g. s..t

best regards,
Andreas

[The Woodman]

I think you've hit the nail on the head Andreas. Yes, I can see Ganoderma in it now, but didn't get to see a more mature body then. They were fairly hard as well and definately not soft.

I've never seen Ganoderma in the UK start like that!

Thanks for the ID and help. I'll hold my hands up now!

[mollisia]

Hello Woodman,

those Ganoderma lucidum always start like that. May be it's that look, that is the reason why the Chinese medical tradition sees such a source of vitality in them
Ganoderma lucidum is called Reishi in China and is one of the most used fungal species in the traditional medicine there.

best regards,
Andreas

[BROCSMAN]

Fascinating. Thanks all for the replies.