Fungus Identification

[Galong]

Do any of you have any idea what sort of fungus this might be? A friend said it's called "Buddha Fingers", but I couldn't find an image to compare in Google Images (actually, no results in that search). She also thought this was edible. It doesn't look like any edible mushroom I've ever seen.

Thanks in advance...

[JetsetBkk]

You must've misspelled it! Hundreds of results here:

http://images.google.com/search?q=Buddha%20Fingers&biw=1292&bih=759&sei=3AWyUIuZJ8jQrQf1j4GABw&tbm=isch

[chinnotes]

I underatand that Buddha's finger or Buddha's hand is a fruit of a tree, actually a citrus fruit of stange shape, similar to the photo shown by Galong. But this photo seems to grow on the gound, I think it's fungus of the ascomycetes group which will not be of much help as this group is very large. I saw in Thailand fungi of quite similar shape, but entirely black.

Erwin

[wayned]

Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha's_hand

[Galong]

You must've misspelled it! Hundreds of results here:

http://images.google...j4GABw&tbm=isch

No, what I saw was a fungus growing on the ground, not in a tree. This does look similar but it is absolutely not what I saw.

[JetsetBkk]

You must've misspelled it! Hundreds of results here:

http://images.google...j4GABw&tbm=isch

No, what I saw was a fungus growing on the ground, not in a tree. This does look similar but it is absolutely not what I saw.

OK, so how about this one:

"Yellow Coral Fungus"

http://naturallycuri...ategory/fungus/

Lots of varieties:

http://bit.ly/QG6Byq

Edited November 26, 2012 by JetsetBkk

[Galong]

You must've misspelled it! Hundreds of results here:

http://images.google...j4GABw&tbm=isch

No, what I saw was a fungus growing on the ground, not in a tree. This does look similar but it is absolutely not what I saw.

OK, so how about this one:

"Yellow Coral Fungus"

http://naturallycuri...ategory/fungus/

Lots of varieties:

http://bit.ly/QG6Byq

Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Thanks for your research!

[chinnotes]

The link, jetsetBkk gave, is unfortunately absolutely misleading. This links leads to a group of fungi called Basidiomycetes, more exactly to a family called Clavariaceae. Some of these fungi are superficially similar to the one shown by Galong.

But the photo given by Galong is definitely a member of the so-called Ascomycetes.

As I was not quite content with this identification I asked a specialist, Dr. Thomas Lassoe, Dept. of Biology of the University Copenhagen, Denmark.

He says it is certainly an Ascomycet fungus, family Xylariaceae, genus Xylaria in a broad sense. As the piucture shows a specimens which is in its anamorphic (asexual) phase and has not yet reached its teleomorphic sexual) phase, it would be very difficult to determine which species it is, even with the specimen at hand.

Erwin

[JetsetBkk]

The link, jetsetBkk gave, is unfortunately absolutely misleading. This links leads to a group of fungi called Basidiomycetes, more exactly to a family called Clavariaceae. Some of these fungi are superficially similar to the one shown by Galong.

But the photo given by Galong is definitely a member of the so-called Ascomycetes.

As I was not quite content with this identification I asked a specialist, Dr. Thomas Lassoe, Dept. of Biology of the University Copenhagen, Denmark.

He says it is certainly an Ascomycet fungus, family Xylariaceae, genus Xylaria in a broad sense. As the piucture shows a specimens which is in its anamorphic (asexual) phase and has not yet reached its teleomorphic sexual) phase, it would be very difficult to determine which species it is, even with the specimen at hand.

Erwin

I defer to your eminent specialist, but I don't think he's right.

Compare pictures of Ascomycete Xylariaceae Xylaria : http://bit.ly/Ts8Q3F

with what Galong posted.

[chinnotes]

Well, I myself cannot decide, I am no specialist. But I had sent the photo also to 6 other Mycologists, Thai and Japanese, and today I got the 2nd answer (from a lady working at the Dept. of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation in Nonthaburi). She has written some scientific articles on the fungus flora of certain National Parks. I had written to her that I had found a quite similarly shaped fungus, but in black. She answered that she compared the photo with herbarium specimens and she states (I translate from Thai) " the photo shows certainly a member of the Xylariaceae, but cannot say which one. They are usually black, but bright (yellow or whitish) specimens also occur".

When (and if) I get more answers from the other specialist, I will let you know...(some specialists answer very fast, others take their time, and a few don't answer at all, because they either don't know but don't want to admit this, or the question/photo is not important to them)

Erwin

Edited November 29, 2012 by chinnotes

[chinnotes]

Well a few minutes ago I got an answer from prof. Dr. Jack D. Rogers, the world's best specialist on genus Xylaria (I saw an impressive list of articles whe wrote about this subject). Here is his answer:

"Hi Erwin

Your fungus certainly appears to be a Xylaria. It is a gorgeous fungus and I would like to see material of it. If I were to guess, I would think that it is an immature thing perhaps related to Xylaria telfairii. Cordially, Jack Rogers, Regents Professor (JACK)"

So, I think that, inspite the impression that the google pictures give, the photo shows a Xylaria (or a very close genus).

Erwin

[JetsetBkk]

Thanks for going the extra mile on this one, Chinnotes. It's very odd though, that none of the images of Xylaria from Google are like Galong's fungus and that so many of the images of club or coral fungi (clavariaceae) look so similar.

I would love to know what features of Galong's fungus makes both your experts think that it is Xylaria.

[angiud]

I love this thread!

[JetsetBkk]

I love this thread!

Me too. I hope we can get more details from Chinnotes' contacts.

[worgeordie]

Well you better be 110% sure what species it is ,before you venture

eating any !!, but it is very beautiful .

regards Worgeordie