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Wildlife Spotting

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Field Notes

Description:

On a walk through the snow-capped mountains of San Jacinto State Park in California, I was surprised to see these little knobs of yellow-white fungus on the bark of a tree. They were growing about 10 feet above the ground (the one I photographed up-close was found on the floor), and unfortunately I'm not as tall to take a closer shot.

Habitat:

Found 8,000 feet above sea level in a park reached through the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. The tree seems to be a Jeffrey Pine, but I could be mistaken.

Notes:

At first seems like a discolored sulfur shelf, Laetiporus sulphureus.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)
Ivan Rodriguez
I was thinking Scleroderma as well, but then again a species that grows directly on a tree doesn't ring a bell. And a discolored sulfur shelf would work if the spore mass wasn't brown... looks like this ID will be tricky to find. :)
ScottRasmussen
That looks like a dark spore mass inside the fungus in the third shot, which would possibly make it a puffball in the genus Scleroderma. I can't find any info on any of these fungi growing directly on trees though. http://www.mushroomexpert.com/scleroderma.html

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Mushroom Mapping
Mission
Southern California Wildlife
Mission
Fungi of the American Southwest

Tags

Photographed
PublishedJanuary 17, 2012

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