Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to bevcraigwhite@Flickr from southwestern Ontario, Canada for sharing today’s image with us (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool – also includes an image of the other side of the fungus). Much appreciated, Bev!
Michael Kuo, of the encyclopedic MushroomExpert.com site, has an extensive factsheet about Daedaleopsis confragosa, or blushing bracket. The story of the name of the genus and its relationship to Greek mythology, however, is best discovered by visiting the Cornell Mushroom Blog and reading the entry on Daedaleopsis confragosa and the Minotaur.
Wow; beautiful photo from another Bev. It almost looks like some elaborate seashell from that angle.
Wonderful photo, lovely patterns, so clear.
What a great picture and such detail. Hope to see more like this.
Thank you, Margaret-Rae
Sizing or close up. Actually in the case of this fungus there is a context for one can see the decaying log behind the plant. Perhaps in the case of a mushroom a note whether it s edible or poisonous might be in order and possibly a spore print or a spore microscopy.
But in the case of flowers as very few people eat these except insects while the sharp focus close ups are admirable without a view of the full plant including at least the whole above ground specimen one cannot really consider it a full description or identification, ie this is impressionistic art maybe but not descriptive science.
If one goes up to a plant to observe admire and maybe identify it one first sees the environs the context then the whole plant usually with other specimens nearby and finally zeroes in on a part or detail such as a flower.
Here we only get a final restricted detail not the whole picture.
I am here making a general comment not about this mushroom which does have a background context.
So ideally if one could click on the main photo and see the whole plant or flower or even the site.
Lovely photo, love the detail.
This is a great site, I really appreciate the work you do for our enjoyment.
This is an excellent photograph and was taken to show the very fine detail of the fertile layer of the fungus, yet at the same time tells the viewer what he is looking at by the fact it is growing on decaying Birch – this automatically rules out the only other fungus it could be confused with – Daedalia quercina, which grows on Sweet Chestnut and Oak.
One can also see signs of slight bruising which gives this bracket the English common name of Blushing Bracket.
There is a very similar photograph on the Wild About Britain web site where it has been confused with Daedalia quercina, but in this case it is growing on Alder and it is also possible to see very young Inonotus radiatus fungi growing in a vertical line in readiness to form typical ‘tiers’ so often seen on Alder.
This immediately rules out the possibility of the fungus being Daedalia quercina.
Neil M.
I should also mention Lenzites betulinus, this too may confuse the beginner as it is also common on Birch and has a similar fertile layer, but with experience one will spot the psuedo-gills are more papery.