What Fungi

[IntrepidStu]

This is the first one. I found it today and it weighs a ton. It took an axe to cut it in half.

The second one was on some rotting wood. Its lighter (but smaller) and seems even harder than the first.

Cheers.
Stu

I thought that the second was a "chaga" but I think it is simply a deformed/old horses hoof, Which by the way, I also think that the first one is.

 

[IntrepidStu]

I now think the first one may not be a horses hoof after seeing other pictures of them. The thing is, ive seen loads of polypores and none have ever looked like this.

Im Stumped!!!!!

 

[canadianwildman]

Don't know what thats is ?????

 

[xylaria]

Looks like a ganoderma. The pore surface is white when alive, and it produces brown spores.

 

[IntrepidStu]

Looks like a ganoderma. The pore surface is white when alive, and it produces brown spores.

I take it you are refering to the first one. The thing that throws me is the lower part that goes in and then out again.

 

[Peter_t]

yep looks like ganoderma to me.
i know a little bit about this from colege, its a perenial bracket and you can see the anual growth rings on the top similar to ones on a tree. there are two types (sory i cant remember the latin names lol) but one is very thick and one is a lot thinner and flatter. the thin type is known as artists fungus because iv been told they used to use the white underside to paint on.
the main species you will find it on are beech, oak and lime.
you can use it in the same way as hourse hoof fungus to light fires aswell

 

[IntrepidStu]

yep looks like ganoderma to me.
i know a little bit about this from colege, its a perenial bracket and you can see the anual growth rings on the top similar to ones on a tree. there are two types (sory i cant remember the latin names lol) but one is very thick and one is a lot thinner and flatter. the thin type is known as artists fungus because iv been told they used to use the white underside to paint on.
the main species you will find it on are beech, oak and lime.
you can use it in the same way as hourse hoof fungus to light fires aswell

Mine must be old or have been to close to the ground for to long as the bottom is BLACK. I think it may just be waterlogged. It is quite thick though (about 4ins at tree side).

 

[addo]

First one is probably Ganoderma sps. There are more than two types though and you also get a lot of them on older Oaks. Should have a good trauma layer.
If it was rearly big though and growing on Ash it would almost certainly be Perenniporia fraxinea a large bracket fungi which also decays the base/butress of the main stem.

 

[Peter_t]

iv found the latin name as its so thick its probably the more comon type ganoderma adspersum. and being black its probably just old