What kind of fungus is this?

October 21, 2012 8:58 PM

Fungusfilter. My parents cut down a tree several years ago and had the stump ground up. About 2 years ago, this red fungus started growing up through the grass. It starts off as a beige foam and then solidifies and turns into a rubbery red color. It grows around the grass before solidifying. I thought it might be reishi but that just doesn't seem right. Here is an image. Thanks all.
posted by crios to Science & Nature (7 answers total)

Schweinitzii root and butt rot?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:14 PM on October 21, 2012

They're a type of shelf fungus (bracket fungus) that probably have their origin in the stump, like these.
posted by Specklet at 9:20 PM on October 21, 2012

Schweinitzii is fuzzy... and then when old it gets brittle and crumbly. It isn't really hard and rubbery, and it doesn't ever get shiny, in my experience, and I see a lot of it around where I live.

Probably Ganoderma tsugae

posted by RedEmma at 7:45 AM on October 22, 2012

If you want a bunch of images, google "varnish shelf fungus"
posted by RedEmma at 7:48 AM on October 22, 2012

What kind of tree was it? Was the tree sick when it was cut? What does the underside look like (aka "pore color")? Polypores can be really hard to key out.

Phaeolus schweinitzii is a root pathogen on conifers. Ganoderma tsugae tends to grow on hemlocks, but it should be hard, not rubbery, and I haven't seen Ganodermas layered on top of each other like that.
posted by momus_window at 7:53 AM on October 22, 2012

Response by poster: It was a locust tree and it was healthy as far as I know. I'll have to take a look at the underside and I'll let you know.
posted by crios at 10:44 AM on October 23, 2012

Response by poster: I'm pretty sure its Phaeolus schweinitzii. After looking at images and descriptions, I'm pretty sure that's it.
posted by crios at 10:48 AM on October 23, 2012