polyporus squamosus is this normal

[the naturelover]

Hi on 19/05/2011 I took some pics of dryad's saddle on an oak tree. Then they slowly withered away. o.k. nothing new. Come back next year and start again. However today on the same tree in exactly the same spot I saw a new collony growing. Is this normal? I know that velvet shank will "hibernate" if the weather is too dry and re-appear when it rains but I did not realise that other species did the same. Is this the case or is this unusual.
Any comments gratefully appreciated.
regards tn.

[watsthat]

I guess its normal because the same thing happened near us this year, ie early emergence of Polyporus squamosus on an old ash stump and recently a second flush in the same place. It could be due to early warmth followed by drought, then recent wet weather.

Pete

[Ditiola]

Hi
The vegetative growth consisting of mycelial threads will live within the wood for as long as the food source remains and al long as the fungus is strong enough to repel other fungi (and other organisms) competing for the same habitat. Fruit bodies will be produced as and when conditions are just right for their formation, this could be once a year, twice a year, or even more often, or they may go several years without producing any fruiting bodies. Very little is known about the environmental triggers that instigate fruit body formation in many of the larger fungi in the natural environment. There is quite a lot of knowledge for edible fungi grown in culture mediums, but it is not always easy to translate this information to the natural world.

Peter

[the naturelover]

My thanks to you both for the comprehensive answer. Just something I had not noticed before.
regards tn