Hey Look at My Crud...

[Basswood]

Thanks @KTSmith, didn’t realize there was multiple genus for the stink horns. I learn a ton from this thread.

 

[guymayor]

Wonderful Monotropa! Maybe folks might like some background which to JD is old hat.
Perfectly self-respecting heath flowers (family Ericaceae). This is an unusual achlorophyllous genus which rather than making its own food through photosynthesis, it breaks down the carbohydrates formed by the mycorrhizal fungus...which in turn originated from photosynthesis by a green plant, probably a tree. So the mycorrhizal fungus provides a bridging function. The transfer of carbs from plant to fungus to plant (reciprocal translocation) was part of my dissertation topic. Sorry about that!

Plants are amazing!

 

[Basswood]

 

[Serf Life]

Caprinus spp.?

 

[Basswood]

Caprinus spp.?

I think so? My trainee had an ID on it but I’m blanking on what he found.

 

[KTSmith]

Serf Life is on the right track. A careful look at the images shows that the light-colored patches on the topside of the cap are scales (squamules) which leads me to the Variegated Inky Cap aka Felt-Scale Inky Cap which a current worker might call Coprinopsis variegata.
The scales are remnants of the universal veil that persist to maturity and "going to mush".

​

 

[Serf Life]

universal veil

Sound like something out of a sci-fi novel. A nefarious organization casts its shadow over an unsuspecting cosmos, only one small ship stands in its way...

 

[KTSmith]

Well of course to me, it's just the great wheel of dharma turning! Everybody (including those inky caps) are just being the best they can be.
It's me that doesn't measure up!

 

[JD3000]

On a shagbark hickory that has some basal decay, any thoughts?
I'll look again in a few days as this seems young and still growing

 

[Basswood]

Whoa almost looks like a type of puffball.

 

[JD3000]

Whoa almost looks like a type of puffball.

I have no idea, I'll go look again in a few days

 

[Serf Life]

Maybe Scleroderma citrinum, earthball. Looks familiar but not with that growth pattern. Dark blue inside if so? Not edible.

 

[KTSmith]

I'd start with Scleroderma as SL suggests. Puffballs (e.g., Lycoperdon) are usually softer to the touch. Also, the puffballs with a roughened surface....for them, the rough surface are actually little scales. With the earthballs with a rough surface (e.g. Scleroderma) the roughness is accomplished more by breaks in the surface rather specialized scales. The latter may be pretty subjective, but it seems to work.

 

[Basswood]

Some slime mold at some pruning cuts on a styrax during a PHC visit. (I did not prune this tree)

 

[ConeCollector]

I found this yesterday, Q. kelloggi, any ideas on what causes the pronounced black rings? The tree was in severe decline.

 

[ATH]

Ring shake?

 

[KTSmith]

For JZack, I'm sure that is all mighty slimey, but I bet it is a mixed culture of ascomycetous yeast fungi there!
For ConeCollector, I'm with ATH with the concept of repeated wounding (which is what ring shake is all about). However, I wouldn't use the term here, necessarily. "Ring shake" is more of a lumberman's and sawyer's term based on the actual dehiscence or separation of the rings in the log. We don't see that in the image.
I know this is likely not possible here, but some ripped sections (axial cuts or splits) sometimes clears up the question. And if the bolt flies apart when struck by the maul, well, there's your answer: "ring shake"!

 

[ConeCollector]

I’ll test it and see how it separates, even as a scaler I rarely see ring shake. Here another photo

 

[evo]

Some slime mold at some pruning cuts on a styrax during a PHC visit. (I did not prune this tree)
View attachment 75231View attachment 75232View attachment 75233View attachment 75234View attachment 75235View attachment 75236View attachment 75237View attachment 75231
View attachment 75234View attachment 75236View attachment 75237

I’ve seen this before and for whatever reason I chalked it up to yeast

 

[evo]

This one is a common, but I rarely see it on Douglas fir. The delamination suggests a possible confection? I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen this I Douglas Fir but what’s super special this site had two wind thrown/hung up, and two standing dead. I just cleared the wind throw.