Tree trail becomes a fungus foray
January 29, 2016 by squirrelbasket
Jelly-like fungi on a rotting tree stump in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff
This year I will probably follow a tree in a small Cardiff park I hardly know – Thompson’s Park. But my latest search for a tree worthy of regular bulletins was overtaken by my wonder at all the fungi I saw on a damp afternoon walk there.
Thompson’s Park is one of Cardiff’s oldest, having opened to the public in 1891. I will no doubt share some general views in another post, but this time I am just excited by the fungi growing on the very old and decaying trees. Three of the species I saw were on one tall stump.
Rotting tree stump in Thompson’s Park
From the twigs sticking out of the top of the stump I decided it was probably a beech (Fagus sylvatica). Here are the fungi growing on it…
This is the brown jelly-like fungus shown in close-up at the top of this post. I think it might be wood ear or jelly ear (Auricularia auricula)
More of the jelly ears
This is some kind of pale bracket fungus
It was the colour of chewing gum
There was lots of it
A close-up – I think it may be purplepore bracket (Trichaptum abietinum) but I am not totally convinced
The third fungus was more familiar…
…I think it’s our old friend the turkeytail, Trametes versicolor
Lower down the stump the turkeytail was wet and much darker in colour
Another view of the fruitful stump
The next tree tempted me as a subject for tree-following this year.
Big old tree in Thompson’s Park
I think it is an oak (Quercus) of some sort, but it doesn’t look very healthy.
Can you see the fungus on the right-hand side of this scar on the trunk?
This is a pale bracket fungus so I am guessing another Trametes species – or even young turkeytail?
Finally, as it started to rain, I noticed that this tree, which is half falling down and which may be a horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), was covered in orange fungi.
Distressed chestnut?
The orange was bright in the rain
Very pretty
These fungi had gills and little stalks – I think they are Panellus stipticus, the bitter oyster
Another species of fungus grew lower on the tree trunk…
…I think it may be sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)
No doubt I have misidentified most of these fungi species, but I am sure you will all correct me where I am wrong!
Awesome update thank you for sharing have a blessed day
All the best to you, too 🙂
The featured fungi I have never seen. I wonder if it has further to grow mature or that is the stage it will be. All the other fungi grow in the area where I live. Love this page!!! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for commenting.
I am still unsure whether ALL those bracket fungi won’t turn out to be turkey tails.
All the best 🙂
I’m not very good with identifying fungi, although I really like them ecologically-speaking. I agree with your identification of jelly ear and sulphur tuft, both of which I have spent time identifying in the past.
Thompson’s park looks like a nice place to visit.
It’s a very small park with a duck pond, then up steps to a big field with trees around the edge. Nothing grand, but I am eventually going to see how many laps of the field I can do for exercise!
All the best 🙂
Sounds like a nice place to spend time. Laps around the park is a good idea. 🙂
I also try to lap in both directions as I always think the view is different.
All the best 🙂
Sounds like good material for at least 1 blog post 🙂
I do hope so 🙂
A fascinating subject makes for a fascinating post. Personally I wouldn’t know my bracket fungus from my turkey tail but I am a bit more wiser by reading this post alone. Thanks for sharing Pat.
As long as you don’t trust my identifications!
All the best 🙂
I would imagine the wet winter had been good for fungi.
Nice to see such vigorous life, even on “dead” trees.
Yes, it’s good that the parks people don’t totally remove the stumps these days…
All the best 🙂
I am not at all a fungi expert, but I do find them fascinating–all of them! Love this post!
Thanks! I have always WANTED to be a fungi expert but have never really made it!
they are so alien…
I’ve posted a link on the Glamorgan Fungus Group facebook page – a good group to join for help with fungi ID or just to post images. https://www.facebook.com/groups/GlamorganFungusGroup/
Thank you – that one DOES appeal. I have just requested to join.
All the best 🙂