Find one in perfect condition on a lovely sunny day and surely there's no bracket fungus to match Inonotus dryadeus for sheer beauty. The honey-like droplets that emerge like teardrops from the surface glisten like amber.
Oak trees are its main host, and if you see one of these large bracket fungi on a tree just take a walk around the bole; chances are there are several others, invariably very near to the ground. Athough also commonly referred to as the oak bracket fungus, Inonotus dryadeus also occurs sometimes on beech, birch and alder trees.
Up to 40cm across and typically 10 to 15 cm thick, these orange-brown brackets become irregularly shaped as the fruitbody matures. Occasionally they occur in tiers of three or more brackets, and as the infection increases, fruitbodies can occur on roots some distance away from the trunk of the tree. Trees can live for many years with this parasitic fungus attacking them, but ultimately the disease is often fatal. In the meantime, however, they are such an amazing sight, and definitely our favourite bracket species. More details on www.first-nature.com/fungi of course...
