Fungus I have Known!

As I promised many days ago, I tried to dust off old fungus pictures. Sadly, I have not been able to get my old archives. Too many things going on, etc. I did get to take new pictures recently, so I'll show those.



This tree had another large white growth in it in 2006. Those pix are tucked away so safely I can't find them. :) I don't know if it is unusual to find this "tooth fungus" in the same place year after year or not. The ground where this tree is located is often soaked, even when the weather is dry. I think either a tiny streamlet feeds it in the park, or it has a very low ground table.




Another view. I often think of trees as personified. This one has a gaping mouth and is tortured, it seems.



This is probably the best detail I have on it. From a casual observer, it looks like someone stuffed styrofoam in the tree, or an old plastic bag. It's very large, not quite as big as a basketball, but maybe a good 6 inches or more across. It's very high up, probably 12 feet of more, so it's hard for me to judge.


The one from 2006 rested much lower in the cavity, and was taller. I checked it as the Fall moved into winter, and it began to deteriorate badly. It yellowed, and the exterior became weathered and gritty. I suppose that's why it's called a 'tooth fungus' because it looks like thousands of serated teeth on the surface, but that's sheer speculation on my part.