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Beech Forest Fungi


Beech Forest Fungi
Photo Information
Copyright: Steve Reekie (LordPotty) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1449 W: 146 N: 3764] (12035)
Genre: Fungi
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-01-21
Categories: Rain Forest
Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/50 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): New Zealand Fungi [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-02-11 23:59
Viewed: 884
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Cyttaria gunni
Strawberry Fungus

These are some odd looking fungi that I found,with my son Aqua,while we were walking the Croesus Track,which traverses the Paparoa mountain range between Blackball,inland,and Barrytown,on the coast.
It is a fungi that is particularly associated with Beech (Nothofagus) forests,and is nearly always found growing on the side of Beech trees.
It develops in rather a strange way, quite unlike any other fungi.

Here is some information about the species that I got from the Landcare Research website:

Description: Stromata solitary or in dense clusters, up to 2 cm in diameter, pear-shaped, smooth and dry but becoming slimy if wetted, fawn or tan above, light coloured below, bright yellow when mature except for a sterile base which remains white. Hollow at maturity, internal fibres white. Apothecia very numerous, up to 200, bright yellow.
Papillae small, scattered between apothecia, appearing as white flecks on young stroma, arising as minute elevations within shallow depressions, not raised above the surface of the stroma. Pycnidia absent. Asci 145-165 x 14 µm, ascospores sub-globose 12-12.5 x 6.5-12 µ, dark coloured, spore print black. Paraphyses as long as asci, 2 µ wide, septate, branched, swollen at ends.


Habitat: An obligate parasite forming globose galls on Nothofagus menziesii (Hook f.) Oerst., in New Zealand and Nothofagus cunninghamii (Hook. f.) Oerst., in Tasmania and Victoria. Range in New Zealand as for host.
Notes:
The sporophores of this species first appear at the time when the buds of the host are beginning to swell; in Southland, in 1946, when most of the investigation was carried out, this occurred during the first week of September. Spore shedding starts early in October and reaches a peak towards the end of November. The first fructifications seen were growing from small twigs showing, little or no sign of gall formation; large galls produce fructifications later.

The galls are small in proportion to the diameter of the branch or stem, as compared with those of C. nigra; they usually occupy about two-thirds of the circumference of the branch and are flattened slightly at the point of origin. When a branch is completely girdled the upper part may die, in which case the death of the gall may follow. In contrast to C. nigra, galls on the main stem take the. form of rope-like encircling bands.. for example one sapling of 11 in d.b.h. had three galls, at 3ft, 4ft 2in. and 5ft 6in from the ground. The lowest was 2 in high and 12 in in circumference, leaving 1 in of bark unaffected, the middle gall was 12 in high and 10 in in circumference, and the highest was 1 1/2 in high and 11 in in circumference. The last two galls cornpletely encircled the stem. See Plate 12 C.

The surface of the gall appears smooth, but if the bark is removed the wood is found to be very uneven, being contorted and produced into sharp spines, the tips of which split into fibres which penetrate through the bark. It is from these points that the stromata develop. The scar left on the gall when the fructification falls is a white circular spot, with, in many cases, the remains of the central tube of fibres which pulls out of the stroma.


I hope you like these curious Beech forest fungi.
Thanks for looking,
Steve
Hormon_Manyer, oanaotilia, haraprasan, parthasarathi, jaycee, Gert-Paassen, boreocypriensis, ferranjlloret, horia has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

amazing ones, TFS Ori

  •      
  • Alutka Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 132 W: 42 N: 377] (1590)
  • [2009-02-12 5:24]

Witaj,
Are these golf balls? Not...these are Strawberry Fungus!
Excellent picture, very good colours and composition...good DOF and sharpness. Congratulate...
TFS and best wishes
Alina

Namastay Steve,
A lovely capture of these beautiful strawberry fungi. Looks like two golf balls. Excellent sharp details and a lovely composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Sincerely
Hara

Interesting note and picture.

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2009-02-12 9:27]

Hi Steve,

These amazing looking fungi look like two glowing golf balls! The lighting is wonderful and I love the golden colors. The details of both are excellent. The background, setting and composition are all beautiful.

Jane

Hi Steve,

I think, this one I have been seen a few days ago?
Nice pov and dof with beautiful colours.

Gert

Hi Steve, Good Morning!
A wonderful macro of these strange shaperd Strawberry Fungus
fom a nice pov and lighting.
TFS and cheers,
Bayram

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1339 W: 0 N: 2582] (9107)
  • [2009-02-13 1:12]

Hi Steve,
indeed a very special and unique fungi for me. never seen it before. so lovely and you captured it very very well. The depth is seen and felt and the beauty is magnificent.
Well composed Steve, really outstanding.

Regards,
Foozi

Hi Steve,
Excellent pic of these Cyttaria gunni, I have had the luck to be able to see them in Tierra Del Fuego. TFS. Best regards. Ferran

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1112 W: 23 N: 3660] (13089)
  • [2009-02-16 10:19]

Hi Steve,
once again you found so fascinating subjedts to share with us...these are amazing! Very good sharp detail and well handled lighting too, nice work mate.
Paul

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2173 W: 220 N: 4384] (14904)
  • [2009-02-17 13:00]

Hi Steve

How cool is that?! Little football balls :)
This macro is great and it presents these little fungi with excellent details and in a very well controlled light. I just love those textures!
Very nicely handled DOF and good, elaborate note to go with the shot, too.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Witaj Steve!
Incredibly regular mushrooms and little hole on them. Nature is great, WOW! They appear from dark background beautifully. Miraculous colours and sharpness. WOW!
Pozdrawiam - Roma

Hi Steve,

I wasn't here on the site in the last few weeks and just read that hysteria around the new ToU. I'm very, very happy You stay here (as I do, too) - without You I should probably never hear about this specie, and You know, I'm interested in each fungus species, local Europeans and the ones from other continents, too. This one's so different from everything else I ever saw... - as Your local beech (Nothofagus) is so very different from ours in Europe (Fagus). Just made a quick search on the net to see the taxonomical position. This is a Pezizomycota from the Leotiomycetes class. Order: Cyttariales. There are 15 species in the genera (source: Index Fungorum), none of them grows in Europe. So, both in distance and taxonomically this fungus is very far from anything which is European. For me it's like an alien being. :)

Technically one of Your best shots ever. I know You have many great fungi photos, but here, on this one everything (focus, sharpness, warm colors, lights etc.) is so perfect that I have to bookmark it with a little green star. Bravo bravissimo. Thanks not only for sharing, but for being here, too. As I just told to Grzeg ('red45') in a critique: real TN spirit is created by guys like You!

Regards from Your Hungarian friend, László

Well let's see, they did a Star Trek episode on 'Spocks Brain' I wonder if they did one on 'Spocks Balls'? Do Vulcans even have those? Seriously Steve this is a fantastic shot!
Paul :)

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