Fungi on Holly

[waxcap]

I'll have a stab.

1. Trichia Varia

2. Antrodia albida (Coriolellus albidus)

3. No Idea

[Chris Yeates]

of course when talking fungi specific to holly one cannot overlook Vialaea insculpta with its fantastic "isthmoid" spores:



a reminder of the thread which this inspired as well: Are these the most elegant spores in the UK?

Chris

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by waxcap

I'll have a stab.

1. Trichia Varia

2. Antrodia albida (Coriolellus albidus)

3. No Idea

No 1 - seems to be Phleogena fagina the Fenugreek Stalkball.
No 3 - could this be a type of 'corking' what you often see on Elm and Field Maple, and not fungal at all ?

Neil.

[stickman]

Hi all

Number 1 is definitely a Trichia.

The photo is so sharp that you can see enough capillitial tips to rule out Hemitrichia. Peter's suggestion of T.varia could be a good one, but I'd suggest T.persimilis would be closer.

In the second photo there's what looks like the perithecia of an ascomycete on the right too. Might have turned out to be something interesting....

Cheers,
Nick

[mollisia]

Hello,

no. 2 I would opt for simple Schizopora paradoxa.

best regards,
Andreas

[waxcap]

Sorry Chris, I didn't realise you were looking for fungi restricted to Holly.

Thanks for the help with Identification Neil, Nick and Andreas it is much appreciated.

Regards Dave

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by waxcap

Sorry Chris, I didn't realise you were looking for fungi restricted to Holly. . . . . .
Regards Dave

Not really, most of the fungi you will find on holly are actually limited to it;

here is a fungus which (with a decent x10 handlens) can be safely identified in the field); it is not limited purely to holly, but is ± restricted to evergreen leaves (plus those which often overwinter such as those of brambles)

its lifestyle is interesting as it is a sooty mould which utilises the honeydew dropped by aphids as its source of food; I have never looked, but it might occur on inorganic surfaces as well; though it is easiest to see on leaves of holly, rhododendron, privet, etc where these are growing as a shrub layer beneath the taller trees attacked by the aphids; it is simply growing on the cuticle of the leaf and does not attack it in any way (except by presumably cutting off a certain amount of sunlight) - indeed you can chip it off with your fingernail and see that there is no damage to the leaf itself . . .

under a microscope the tiny "spines" you can see with the handlens are revealed to have chains of pale brown conidia overlaying them; this is the Microxiphium stage of Dennisiella babingtonii; here it is in Christmas carol mode:

I'm sure that with WABbers assistance this could be added to several vice-county lists as it is very under-recorded (it's almost certainly in a garden or park near you!), unfortunately the NBN map NBN Gateway - interactive species mapper is unreliable as it has included Dennisiella babingtonii with Pachyella babingtonii - a completely unrelated fungus!

PS sorry this post is not about Stereum or Trametes

cheers

Chris

[rich ard]

Can anyone help me with these erumpent growths on the underside of live holly leaf please (South Notts)



I have checked Ellis and Ellis to try to id these without success though they do look a bit like the drawing of Diplodia ilicicola. As this is a live holly leaf I even wondered about a mite or similar but a blank also in Britsh Plant Galls.

I could not see anything of use on microscopy.

Any ideas please?

Richard

[diggleken]

Hi Richard,
I think thats by the gall wasp, Neuroterus numismalis.
Cheers
Ken

[poschiavanus]

Originally Posted by diggleken

Hi Richard,
I think thats by the gall wasp, Neuroterus numismalis.
Cheers
Ken

Bit small for that Ken: and on the wrong plant.

I have been wondering if these are feeding damage, but can't think what it would be that is causing it.