Help needed to id fungus from Plymouth

[pleb]

Hello again. I won't attempt to name this fungus (....although it does look a bit like a Skeletocutis ). Any help would be welcome as I would like to get to know these bracket / resupinate fungi. Growing on an old, dead gorse branch in Plymouth.

Phil

[fairplay]

I think this will turn out to be Byssomerulius corium.
Skeletocutis nivea would be most likely found on Hazel and is not quite so flexible.

Neil.

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by pleb

Hello again. I won't attempt to name this fungus (....although it does look a bit like a Skeletocutis ). Any help would be welcome as I would like to get to know these bracket / resupinate fungi. Growing on an old, dead gorse branch in Plymouth.

Phil

I agree with Neil as to the ID; with regard to getting to know resupinate fungi in particular that is a big ask unfortunately; with the exception of a handful of species you need to have a (decent) microscope, a lot of time and patience, plus access to quite a lot of specialist literature (some of it now out of print)

Ellis and Ellis III is probably the easiest work to obtain, but frankly it is not good enough for serious work (and I say that as someone who knew them, found them very friendly and helpful and who has the highest regard for the vast majority of their published work)

Chris

[pleb]

Thanks to both of you for your help.

The only microscope I have is a low power binocular one which is good for mosses and lichens but obviously no use for fungal spores.

You seem to hint that I might be better off sticking to bracket fungi, Chris? Or do you think that my lack of a decent microscope means that I will never progress very far with fungi?

Since getting my hands on a copy of the BBS "Field Guide", I have realised that it is possible to learn to identify most mosses and liverworts, but I don't want to ignore fungi completely.

Phil

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by pleb

Thanks to both of you for your help.

The only microscope I have is a low power binocular one which is good for mosses and lichens but obviously no use for fungal spores.

You seem to hint that I might be better off sticking to bracket fungi, Chris? Or do you think that my lack of a decent microscope means that I will never progress very far with fungi?

Since getting my hands on a copy of the BBS "Field Guide", I have realised that it is possible to learn to identify most mosses and liverworts, but I don't want to ignore fungi completely.

Phil

No! do not let me put you off mycology - the more people the better, of course. It's just I have seen a lot of people fall by the wayside because they came to mycology from say, botany and thought it was going to be as straightforward, so one is duty-bound to say that it is a long and difficult road but well worth taking; and there is plenty of scope (no pun intended!) for making solid ID's without a microscope. Indeed a dissecting 'scope will certainly help considerably. Just bear in mind that when you get to the point where microscopy is needed to progress an ID and someone points that out, it is a simple statement of fact and not a slight on the person asking what something is.
Keep an eye on the Fungal Plant Parasites thread for example - if you have a decent knowledge of vascular plants (and a stereo microscope to boot) there is a lot of scope for making interesting (and important) discoveries. And that is just in one area.

So please don't get disheartened - I can remember the days when books were limited and the thought of sites like this was just inconceivable.

Go for it!

Chris

[pleb]

Thanks for those words of encouragement

As you guessed, my background is botany and higher plants in particular where usually all you need is a decent Flora and a hand lens to make an id.

So fungi can be frustrating for me although I find them full of interest.

Thanks also for pointing me in the direction of the Fungal Plant Parasites thread, which I know will interest me as I have come across rusts when I have been looking at plant galls.

As you say, this web site, and various other forums, as well as digital images, have speeded up the learning process so much, so that anything seems possible as long as the experts have the willingness to help those who are beginning. So your help, and the help of others, is much appreciated.

Phil