Trametes (old Pycnoporus sp.)

Scarlet Bracket at Bruce, ACT

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Identification history

	Trametes (old Pycnoporus sp.)	30 Nov 2015	Heino
	Unidentified	27 Nov 2015	jks

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1 comment

Heino wrote:

30 Nov 2015

I think this may be a well-weathered specimen of Pycnoporus. See also your sighting http://canberranaturemap.org/Community/Sightings/Details/1973760, which shows a fresh example. When old, the upper surfacecan become quite bleached, but the pore layer on the underside keeps the orange colour. In this case the fungus has produced the fruiting bodies from the side of the log/fallen trunk and so they are bracket like. In theother sighting the fruiting body grown out from the upper surface and takes the shape of a very shallow V. If you took a cross section of either specimen, you'd find (along the lower edge) what looks like a layer of very fine tubes, packed densely side by side. For effective spore dispersal those tubes need to be vertical. If a fruiting body grow out from the side of the wood, you get that bracket-like form, with the tubes held at right angles to the lower surface. If a fruiting body is produced from the upper surface, you get that V-like form but now the tubes are not at right angles to the lower surface. Remember, they need to be vertical. Suppose the sides of the V were angled at X degrees to the wood, then the tubes would need toi be angled at 90-X degrees (with respect to the lower surface) if they are to be vertical.

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