NATURE FOCUS
BRACKET FUNGI
THERE are approximately 15,000 types of wild fungi in the UK with and at least 70,000 world-wide. Fungi are often thought of as being plants, but they are actually in a kingdom all of their own.
Most fungi have the same basic make-up of thread-like hyphae, which form a web-like structure called mycelium. Most of the time the mycelium is hidden as it is growing through the soil, under fallen logs, decaying plant and animal remains.
Fungi break down dead remains and release simple food products that the hyphae absorb to promote growth. When conditions are right (which may be once, twice or even more times a year) the mycelium gather to form the fruiting bodies (“mushrooms” and “toadstools”) similar in function to fruits like apples. It is these fruiting bodies that we see and identifies the presence of fungi. Autumn is a time when mild, wet conditions prevail making it a good time to see fungi, although different fungi can be seen all year round.
These fruiting bodies wide have a wide diversity of shape, size and colour; with club shaped, cups, brackets on tree trunks, ball and star shaped, as well as jellies and fingers. Bracket or shelf fungi are so called because of their shape and size. They are also known as polypores and their very distinctive woody fruiting bodies are known as “conks”.
Some of these fungi form annual fruiting bodies whilst others are perennial and grow larger with each subsequent fruiting. These brackets are found on living and dead trees and on woody debris ranging from a single row of a few bodies through to several rows of many bodies. They tend to be very robust, producing their spores from pores underneath the fruiting body which are then transported by wind, rain, and animals.
The Birch Polypore, Piptoporus betulinus, also known as the Birch Bracket, is specific to birch trees. It is one of the commonest British fungi and can be solitary or in small, widely space groups.
The pale fruiting body is between 5 to 25cm and can last for more than a year and has a smooth grey-brown top surface and a cream-white underside. Wood that has been decayed by this fungus often smell of “green apples”.
The velvety surface of the fruiting body was traditionally used as a strop for sharpening razors and is sometimes referred to as the “razor strop” fungus.
Another common bracket fungus is the Beefsteak Fungus, Fistulina hepatica which looks like a piece of raw meat on the side of broadleaved trees. They are often found low down on the trunks of oaks and when cut, this fungus oozes a blood like liquid! Beefsteak Fungi are semi-circular in shape and grow up to 25cm across and 5cm thick.
They can vary from red through pink to brown in colour.
In oaks this fungus causes “brown rot” which has the effect of turning the wood a deep brown colour. Look out for the variety of fungi that can be seen in Autumn especially on many of the Trust’s reserves.
Whilst some fungi are edible do not eat any fungi which have not been properly identified by a qualified professional – a number are deadly!