Fungus ID on (dead?) Maple tree please

[Suze01]

I have several mature variegated maple trees lining my driveway and this year one of them has died back.  At the base of the tree there were some fungi which I cut off, as well as pollarding all the dead unsightly branches.  The fungi are growing back.  Can someone ID them for me and is there anything I can do to kill them off and the spores that must be in the ground?  I'm hoping that the tree will recover next spring, I certainly do not want to fell it or have to uproot it (it supports one end of my hammock!!!).

[img]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g127/Lisleoise/CIMG4839.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g127/Lisleoise/CIMG4838.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g127/Lisleoise/CIMG4840.jpg[/img]

Thanks.

[Rodders]

Looks like a bracket fungus. Normally it is a sign of a dying tree (that may be caused by the fungus).

From RHS website:

Bracket fungi cause decay and rot in the heartwood of trees and produce bracket-shaped fruiting bodies on the trunk or main branches. These fungi usually lead to the weakening and eventual breakage or fall of affected trees.

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What are bracket fungi?

Symptoms

Control

Biology

What are bracket fungi?

Bracket fungi are the fruiting structures of many different fungi that cause heartwood decay in standing trees. The fungal bodies – or brackets – appear in spring, summer and autumn, but weakened trees can topple at any time. Note that there are other fungi which also cause decay that are not bracket fungi.

There are many different types of bracket fungi, many which are specific to a particular host and often of little importance in gardens.

Symptoms

Some of the symptoms you may see:

External symptoms: the first external symptom of bracket fungus infection is often the appearance of the bracket-shaped fruiting bodies on the trunk or main branches. These can be up to 60cm (2ft) in diameter and may be annual or perennial. This may be preceded by visible crown thinning and die-back, but not always. By the time a bracket appears there will usually have been extensive heartwood decay. Since decay weakens the wood, another symptom may be falling branches.

Internal symptoms: these fungi may cause either white or brown rot in the heartwood; both are structurally weakening. In some cases, the tree becomes hollow and may remain stable, but decay usually leads to weakening and eventual breakage or wind throw. Foresters distinguish top rots which affect upper parts from root or butt rots which affect the roots and base of the tree. Top rots, such as Meripilus giganteus, are particularly damaging because the whole tree may fall.

[Suze01]

Thank you for that (I think [8-)]  !).

The tree was noticeably fewer leaved over the last couple of years compared to it's neigbours (same trees).  It has also produced a lot more fruits (sycamore whirlygig thingies) over this period.  It doesn't sound good really.  On the other forum someone suggested Honey Fungus but I've now looked at dozens of different photos from a Google search and they don't look the same at all.  I'm going to dig around the base of the tree just to make sure that there aren't any of the black rhizomes of HF and put down some fungicide.

For now the trunk is quite sound and as my hammock is on it I will not fell the tree for the time being.

[Rodders]

If it helps, does the fruiting body come out of the trunk - if so, it's a bracket fungus. If it comes out of the soil it's something else.

[Suze01]

It comes off the base of the trunk.  It doesn't have a stalk or filaments - it's a very dense solid mass.  The outside is light in colour but cut in half it has concentric cirlces and is darker brown. I was looking through my regional fungus book that has over 400 photographed entries and the only thing that comes close is the Enteridium Lycoperdon.  I have now dug around the base of the tree and there are no HF rhizomes.

[Rodders]

Definitely not Enteridium lycoperdon as this is a slime mould (gelatinous, not hard). I still think it's a bracket fungus from your description.

[odile]

so many bracket fungus - the main thing is that trees carrying them can live for many, many years - without too much trouble- unlike something like honey fungus that can kill very quickly. I am no expert- but in my experience, nothing to worry about per se.