Fungus or Plant?

[Fungus Ken]

Stuck at home with a fractured leg and bored, I thought I'd trawl back through a few old photos and came across this one.



Never did find out out what it was. It was growing on a fallen branch of a deciduous tree, in Wales. I'm not even sure it's fungal.

Any thoughts on what it might be?

Although it does look like a set of nicotine-stained teeth, this is quite genuine and not a trick. They were definitely growing on the wood. In terms of size they would have been about child teeth-sized rather than adult teeth-sized.

It was possible to squish them between your fingers and the texture was a bit like a small plant bulb. There were no obvious structures under the microscope and there were no spores, so if it was fungal, it wasn't a mature spore-producing body.

This is also posted in the Fungi Forum, to increase the chances of someone giving me a clue as to what it might be.

HELP!

Bonus question - what is the bryophyte growing on the same branch? At least I can answer that one myself but I'll let others have a go to keep me entertained.

Ken

[RobSutton]

I'd go for Lophocolea bidentata for the bryophyte, not a clue about the other thing. Sorry to hear about the fractured leg, hope you'll be up and about soon.

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

I'd go for Lophocolea bidentata for the bryophyte, not a clue about the other thing. Sorry to hear about the fractured leg, hope you'll be up and about soon.

Plaster cast for 6 weeks so no field excursions for the time being.

Yes, the bryophyte is Lophocolea and I think you are probably spot on with L. bidentata. I didn't identify it at the time because I was only looking at the "fungus" so I only have the photo to go on, but the leaf shape looks right for L. bidentata. The other option would be L. heterophylla but most of the leaves look like they have the two 'prongs'.

Ken