Sunday, October 21, 2012

Mellow yellow




Yellow brain fungus Tremella mesenterica, growing on a dead branch of a large Cotoneaster in Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria. This fungus didn't kill the branch; it's a parasite on another fungus in the genus Peronospora, which had already killed the branch. The fungus is paler when young, but matures to this vibrant shade of chrome yellow.


This aspen Populus tremula, growing in upper Swaledale in North Yorkshire, is the brightest tree in the local landscape at present, beating strong competition from birches and rowans. Aspen leaf stalks are laterally flattened so each leaf flutters from side to side in the slightest breeze and the whole tree seems to shimmer.

Pictures of the winter buds of aspen here and of the fungus that attacks its leaves here.

2 comments:

  1. A wonderful find. A perfect specimen.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's a bright fungus!
    I have read about people shaking like the aspen leaves, but have never seen either an aspen or a shaking person. Thanks for the explanation.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.