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Tag Archives: crust fungi

Hairy curtain crust

22 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by sconzani in fungi, winter

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British fungi, crust fungi, Hairy curtain crust, Stereum hirsutum

This colony of Hairy curtain crust (Stereum hirsutum) was making an impressive display on a fallen tree I passed today.

210122 hairy curtain crust (1)

These fungi often start out hugging the wood they’re growing on (the scientific description is resupinate, with the fertile surface adnate to the substrate), then form wavy edged brackets are they age.

210122 hairy curtain crust (2)

The upper surface is hairy (hence the epithet hirsutum), and the lower surface smooth, with no obvious pores.

210122 hairy curtain crust (3)

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353/365 Oak curtain crust

19 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by sconzani in fungi, nature, winter

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

British fungi, crust fungi, Grangemoor Park, Hymenochaete rubiginosa, Oak curtain crust

‘Nearly always associated with dead oak trees, this easily-overlooked crust fungus varies considerably in its appearance, sometimes mainly resupinate beneath fallen logs but usually in bracket form when on dead stumps,’ writes Pat O’Reilly on his First Nature website. The specimens of Oak curtain crust fungi I found yesterday, in Cardiff’s Grangemoor Park, were definitely growing on oak but, in this case, they were on thick, solid oak logs that have been used to construct benches and signposts.

191219 Oak Curtain Crust (2)

I always enjoy reading the etymology entries on O’Reilly’s website. Oak curtain crust’s binomial name is Hymenochaete rubiginosa, which is explained as follows:

Hymenochaete, the genus name, comes from hymen – a prefix referring to the fertile membrane (the crust surface), and -chaete perhaps from the Greek noun chaite meaning long hair and perhaps referring to the fine hairs (settae) on the upper surfaces of fungi in this generic group.
The specific epithet rubiginosa means rusty and refers to the reddish-brown colour of the hymenial (fertile) surface of this crust fungus.

191219 Oak Curtain Crust (1)

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314/365 Toothed and crusty

10 Sunday Nov 2019

Posted by sconzani in autumn, fungi, nature

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

British fungi, crust fungi, fungus, Toothed crust, toothed fungi, toothed fungus

Crust fungi are notoriously difficult to identify and I’m not at all sure which this is, though one possibility is Toothed crust (Basidioradulum radula). Despite my uncertainty I thought I would share some photos as its shape and form are wonderfully sculptural and more than a little beautiful, I feel.

Toothed crust Forest Farm 191108 (1)
Toothed crust Forest Farm 191108 (2)

Toothed crust Forest Farm 191108 (3)

Toothed crust Forest Farm 191108 (4)
Toothed crust Forest Farm 191108 (5)

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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