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Cyttaria gunnii


Cyttaria gunnii
Photo Information
Copyright: Steve Reekie (LordPotty) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 144 N: 3872] (12503)
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, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2009-01-24 1:13
Viewed: 4838
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is an odd looking fungi that can be found growing on the sides of beech trees in damp Nothofagus forests.
I found this one on the ground on the Croesus track, which crosses the Paparoa Range between Blackball and Barrytown.
It develops in rather a strange way, quite unlike any other fungi.

The following information about the species is 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.

Thanks for looking,
Steve
siggi, Morigann, vanderschelden, bobcat08, flashpoint, jaycee, marhowie, red45, haraprasan, Argus, boreocypriensis, ferranjlloret, Dis. Ac., eqshannon has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Steeve,
waouh beautiful shot, an amazing fungi...
TFS regards
Fred

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2009-01-24 1:25]

Hello Steve,
Very intersting post, never seen one before, and excellently captured with surrounding habitat. Very good!
Best regards Siggi

Hello steeve,
This is an amazing capture with this strange fungi. Excellent composition and beautiful ntural colors.
Regards
Pierre

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2009-01-24 2:19]

Hi Steve,
what a unique fungi...looks like a golf ball.
Really nice to be able to share such a special beings.
Beautifully composed with pleasant lighting and sharpness.
Great notes, thanks for the effort.

Regards,
Foozi

Hello Steve,

Wauuuuuuuuuuuuuuw, what a beautiful shot. Perfect LOW POV and the lightfall is perfect. It's look a like a planet with full of craters. In my eyes a unique fungi. Never seen this before.

A BEAUTY.

And perfect notes. Well done.

Kind Regards and TFS BOB

hello Steve!
really strange architecture and design has in store the nature... like this fungus that would immediately place in any museum of modern art or designer!!!
tanks for this beauty sERGIO

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2009-01-24 9:16]

Hi Steve,

This really is an odd looking fungus. If it was white and black it would resemble a soccer ball. If I saw this on the ground I think my first impulse would be to kick it. Wonderful shot with excellent colors, textures, and details.

Jane

hello steve
Beautiful fungi
first time i see this
great sharpness and nice colours
greeting lou

Hi Steve,
You're right, it's an odd looking fungi.
The honeycombed ball shape is most interesting..
You could always make a Christmas ornament out of it?
Just hollow it out a bit, stick a small light in there, & viola ;}
Very nice mf,
Howard

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2009-01-24 11:25]

Hi Steve!

Fantastic idea from mother nature! Fungus ready to be served at beach's bar [you know - you can easily stick into it these small pipes and umbrellas from drinks [yes I know my English is funny, but I don't know proper words] :-)]. But seriusy - I envy you - great subject very well captured.

Hi Steve,
That's what I call the wonders of mother nature. its pure art created by mother nature. The perfect sphere with is wonderful patterns and colors are amazing. I've never seen anything like it before.
Its a great photo, with perfect details and color rendering.
TFS,
Niek

Namastay Steve,
A nice capture of this beautiful yet strange fungi. You have presented it in a very good POV with sharp details. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Sincerely
Hara

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2009-01-25 1:10]

Hello Steve,
Nice capture of a strange-looking fungus that I would call the Golfball Fungus. The POV and technical qualities of this image are first class to make it a fine portrait of the species.
It may have a vernacular name that surely must have something to do with a ball of some kind.
TFS this fine contribution,
Cheers,
Ivan

Hi Steve, great capture of this strange shaped fungi which is novelty for me. Wonderful sharp details in a fine composition. Accompanying notes are perfect.
TFS and cheers,

Bayram
Ps. Thanks a lot for your kind words which you wrote my 300th post too.

Hi Steve,
A very interesting species that I could see in the American forests of the South hemisphere, in the same type of trees. TFS. Ferran

Hi steve,

Very strange fungi. Very interesting to look at. Beautiful light.
TFS
JM

Hi Steve,

Nice football your find here, ut so far from the footballfield?
No joke, this one I have never been seen before.
Good pov and beautiful colours.

Gert

Some of these things are so unusual...and I get the notion that if someone picks the wrong one...they die instantly by touch...but not being a fungi or spore expert..I would not know. Only the tabloids cover thqat sort of thing and I am not sure what is real and what isn't.....but this is really an image and of good quality and noted so well as a good stand-up guy would do!
Bob

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