
Originally Posted by
Katherine Enns
I think this is in Polyporaceae (one of the bracket fungi) , and I cant see the pore structure, so I can't say for surebut and it's eastern so that also leaves me in the dark a bit. Its possibly a relative of Polyporus versicolor, but it is in fact....dead. C'est mort. RIP. ;) It hasnt been dead for long, as there isnt a bloom of green algae on it yet, but the pores are kind of fistulating and its bleached out. Thats what happens to bracket fungi when they pack it in, they remain on the substrate but turn a pearly color, and in another winter or so, it will be gone. Judging from the green algae and moss prothalia on the bark, its in a very shady site (am I wrong?) and that will eventually knock out brackets, they do like some light. Being fungi, they can do without, but this one normally has bands of color, mostly browns and yellows.
I agree with Ken in that fungi on wood substrates are very difficult to photograph, and I suspect that is because there are two different planes and to get the fruiting body and the substrate in focus and with detail is hard to do. For those of you who are interested in fungi imperfecti photography, please check out the late Sylvia Sharnoff.