Turkey tail

On an old stump in the yard a beautiful cluster of turkey tail bracket fungi (Trametes versicolor: The Turkey Tail) has started to grow. Fungi are organisms which feed off of dead matter. They are absorptive feeders which excrete digestive enzymes tombreak down the substrate upon which they are growing and consuming. Then the nutrients are absorbed into the fungi's cells which are called hyphae. The cells are long thin filaments which create a woven mat like structure known as a mycelium which can be seen in the photos below. Fungi reproduce by generating and releasing spores which are carried away by wind, rain, or animals. Once the spores find a suitable food source with plenty of moisture and the right temperatures they will begin to grow.

The Turkey tail fungi grows mainly on hardwood stumps or dead branches here in the forests of New England. These are growing on the stump of a maple tree that we had cut down almost two years ago as its large branches threaten the roof of the house. Thankfully we did take the tree down before last year's freak Halloween snowstorm which certainly would have caused some damage to this tree.