Biodiversity Plants

Bracket Fungi

These parasitic fungi grow thread-like mycelium throughout the tree on which they grow. The mycelium steal nutrients from the tree, and cause damage to the structure of the tree. Then, large flat fruiting bodies spread out from the tree trunk, to help spread spores.

A Bracket Fungus growing out of a tree

You can easily spot these structures, which look like wobbly Frisbees stuck into the tree trunk.

The poor tree can't cope with such an attack, and even the largest and most well established trees can suffer from heart-rot. Most trees harbouring a bracket fungus will weaken and eventually die.

	Bracket Fungi
	These parasitic fungi grow thread-like mycelium throughout the tree on which they grow. The mycelium steal nutrients from the tree, and cause damage to the structure of the tree. Then, large flat fruiting bodies spread out from the tree trunk, to help spread spores.

	You can easily spot these structures, which look like wobbly Frisbees stuck into the tree trunk. The poor tree can't cope with such an attack, and even the largest and most well established trees can suffer from heart-rot. Most trees harbouring a bracket fungus will weaken and eventually die.