Giant Polypore

Giant Polypore, Meripilus giganteus, on Beech roots in The Knoll, Hayes, on 3 October 2012.

"It's a good year for merip! It loves the wet." So said Luke, the Ranger for West Wickham Common. The subject was the so-called Giant Polypore, Meripilus giganteus. It's biggish, but I wouldn't describe it as giant. But it does love this weather. It is cropping up all over, on the bases and roots of Beech stumps, and occasionally on living trees like the one shown above, which is bad news for them as it causes root rot and will probably kill the tree.

It's a fast grower, taking only a couple of weeks to go from brown nodules to the display you see.  Here is part of the outcrop on the 25th of September:

Giant Polypore, Meripilus giganteus, on the roots of a Beech tree on The Knoll, Hayes.  25 September 2012.

And here it is on the 3rd of October:

Giant Polypore, Meripilus giganteus, on Beech roots in The Knoll, Hayes, on 3 October 2012.

Here is a section of the fungus from the underside. You can see the fine pores and, at the edge, the white fibrous structure.  This piece is from a different outbreak of the same fungus.

Giant Polypore, Meripilus giganteus, on a beech stump just off Layhams Road.  2 October 2012.