BLUSHING BRACKET

On Sunday the 'outstanding' volunteer team were clearing back encroaching vegetation and fallen branches from footpaths at Filnore Woods.  The path between posts 16 and 17, leading from the leaning tree to the sloping field, passes through an old plantation of willows.  The trees are shaded and in competition with each other, so that lots of them lean over and even uproot.

While clearing the path we came across these fungal brackets.

This fungus, the false maze-gill or blushing bracket (Daedaleopsis confragosa) is characterised by its concentric rings.  It specialises in dead willow stems. 

The brackets are pale at first but gradually darken to brown

The underside of a fresh bracket will stain red if you rub it (hence blushing bracket) and it is covered in tiny pores.

The pores are round at first and elongate as the bracket ages, so that it looks like a maze.

In Greek mythology Daedalus built a labyrinth for King Minos of Crete, where the minotaur was imprisoned.  This is the derivation of the scientific name of this fungus, Daedaleopsis.