Ewww: what is this gold fungus- like stuff on my oak tree?

Hmm. I tried to put all the pertinent stuff in the title. But the oak tree is abt 50 years old, huge, & has some similar sized oak firends in neighboring yards. In my yard, it's right next to some elderly pines. I noticed last year that this branch was pretty bare, but as it hangs over a neighbor's fence & yard, I thought I'd wait & see. Anybody know what this might be? If so, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much trouble is my oak tree in? (10 being encase it in plastic, have it cut down & hauled away & have yard decontaminated & all other plants & trees removed.)

Here's another picture. It really does have a glow abt it.

Are there many (any) leaves on this branch? It looks like a low, old dead branch. Are more branches dead if this one is? I heat with wood and this looks typical. If the branch is dead/dying just cut the branch off and the tree should be fine.

Thanks, Stelco. I had noticed some brown patches & what looked like insect damage on the leaves earlier this week, but had not been out at a time when I could really try & observe the whole tree. Plus I've never been the owner of a 50 year old oak tree before, so I'm trying to be careful abt it.

Can you get a bit closer? On first glance it kinda looks like lichen.

X

I'll try tomorrow to get a closer picture. Here's another one from the first attempts.

Is the rest of the tree OK? If it is only affecting this one branch, perhaps removal of the branch is in order. You are in Ohio, and are subject to things we may not share.... But - if it were my 50 year old oak tree, I would call an arborist - now. This may become systemic and then you lose the whole tree.

Lichen usually grows on the north side of a tree .. which way is it facing?

X

I think you're thinking of moss...

Is it flat, sunken, raised?

It looks more like a fungus to me.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/paragyrodon_sphaerosporus.html

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/daedaleopsis_confragosa.html

Looking at the leaves in the first pic, it appears that you have one of the oaks that may be affected by a disease called "sudden oak death". Check this out and see if it applies:

http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf/html/plant_symptoms.html

Folks, thanks for keeping this thread going. I was sick myself & didn't get on the puter for a few days--- now we've had over 2 inches of rain in the last 24 hours (so no new pictures). If I didn't have mushrooms before this, I sure will now.
I had noticed the spots on the leaves, but didn't know how significant they were. I did look at the links y'all posted. Nothing seems to fit exactly yet. I may call in an arborist. Let me get better pictures first. Many thanks!

I was surfing the web for lichen id's on my own trees and found this. The caption under the photo:

"A species of Acarospora or Pleopsidium (one of the "gold cobblestone lichens") ... No scientist has determined the correct name for this lichen as yet."

The web site: [http://www.lichen.com/bigpix/Aevolutum.html]

Could this be your "gold fungus"?

Laura






This message was edited Sep 13, 2006 10:26 AM