These are Bracket Fungi even though they looked
like mushrooms when starting out, almost indistinguishable from the rocks, but
they are rock hard and sturdy, like most Brackets.
Like all fungi, bracket fungus likes a damp environment and tree bracket fungi
attack the hardwood interior, and therefore, the structural integrity of the
tree and are the cause of white or brown rot.
Luckily these appeared in a damp spot next to my garden path amongst some rocks
and were not near any of my trees. Make sure the bases of trees don’t stand in
water. As soon as the infection is noted, removal of the bracket fungus shelves
will at least prevent the spore release that may infect other trees. The good
news is that these fungi attack the old and the weak and often occur after a
tree is damaged by man or nature and play an integral part in the decomposition
of wood.
Standard English Name(s): bracket fungus, shelf fungus, tree fungus, conk
Scientific Name(s): various species of Fomes, Fomitopsis, Ganoderma, etc.
