King Alfred Cakes

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carabao

Forager
Oct 16, 2011
226
0
hove
Just found some King Alfred cakes on an Ash tree on the road near my house. Nevill Road for those near me. Please correct me on this, but I have read that this grows on dead trees ? Is this right.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,715
1,962
Mercia
It can and does grow on trees that are still living - but it does not bode well for the long term health of the tree
 

stuey

Full Member
Sep 13, 2011
376
0
High Peak
www.arb-tek.co.uk
Daldinia concentrica (King Alf's Cakes) is a saporophyte.
As such it colonises dead or decaying timber. This dead or decaying timber may well still be attached to a living tree but it has no bearing on the long term health of that tree (Sorry Red).
It does, of course, demonstrate the presence of significant deadwood which can be an indicator of more serious transport issues within the tree system which can be the result of numerous causes.

If the tree is within influencing distance of the public highway it would certainly be useful to report the issue to the local authority irrespective of the ownership of the tree.

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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,715
1,962
Mercia
More accurate than me stuey :)

I know I have seen it on living trees - didn't realise it was on a dead branch or whatnot! Good info thanks
 

stuey

Full Member
Sep 13, 2011
376
0
High Peak
www.arb-tek.co.uk
I understand the lifecycle in basic terms only I'm sorry.

Sapwood exposed colonisation strategy spread at night by airborne spores. Enters through cracks, splits that expose the sapwood. Probably endophytic (lives in host without causing disease or issue).
Prefers to colonise dead / decaying tissue. (Saporophytic). Does not have wherewithal to attack barriers protecting living wood.
Needs moisture to germinate, fungal body acts as a source of this moisture.

If you wanted any more detail I would have to talk to my colleague at work who is a mycologist... He appears to speak a different language for the most part though! :)

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The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
2,320
6
Sunny Wales!
Thanks for the reply stuey!

My main interest was the concentric rings. Would they be anual, or bi-anual (or even possibly just from the right conditions, several times a year)
I'm just really interested in the growth rate, and information is very limited.

Would your friend possibly know? Appreciated, al.
 

stuey

Full Member
Sep 13, 2011
376
0
High Peak
www.arb-tek.co.uk
Hi Al,

From Justin regarding the concentric rings in Daldinia :

No correlation to age, just to periods of wet weather which stimulate biomass production in the fruitbody.

Hope that helps,

Stu
 

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