My fellow Glamorgan Fungus Group members and I are taking part in another challenge this month, hunting far and wide within the county to see how many specimens we can find of the supposedly rare Cobalt crust fungus (Terana caerulea). You may remember that I blogged about this special, once-seen-never-forgotten fungus back in February. It’s generally classified as rare but, here in Glamorgan, it most certainly isn’t.
Here are the latest stats: for the 14 days from 13 to 26 January inclusive, 14 of our group had made a total of 45 separate finds on 16 different host plants, ranging from elder, bramble and buddleja to hazel, oak, ivy and even Japanese knotweed. Our results just go to show that this fungus is not actually rare but rather rarely recorded, and our participation in challenges like these also highlights the benefits of ordinary folk like you and I making the effort to record the biodiversity we see around us every day. We’re helping to rewrite science!
earthstar 
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I found this as well as an orange variation on the oak tree in our yard. More specifically, the giant limb that broke out of it this morning. The branch showed signs of internal rot. Is this common with this fungus or is it just coincidental?
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As far as I’m aware Cobalt crust is a species of saprobic fungi, which means it feeds on wood that is already dead – it doesn’t cause the wood to die, so it wouldn’t have been responsible for the internal rot in your oak tree branch.
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Hi — I just spotted this on a dead oak branch here in Alexandria VA (a suburb of Washington DC). Have never seen it before and we’ve lived here since 1987. Maybe the torrential rain we’ve had since the Spring brought it out. Parts were bumpy with a velvety texture but toward the end of the branch it was smooth so that it looked as if the branch end had been dipped in navy paint (darker than the bumpy part). Once seen, never forgotten!
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That colour is amazing, isn’t it? So glad you got to see some. Remember the spot ’cause it will keep coming back there, I think. 🙂
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And thank you for your website: your picture ID’d it for me.
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You’re welcome. 🙂
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I’ve nevr seen this before, astonishing!
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It is very beautiful when the light’s on it, Val. 🙂
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What a beautiful colour. If I saw that from a distance I’d very likely think it was some kind of marker applied to the tree, it looks like a blue ink stain.
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Sometimes woodland management staff and/or rangers use blue paint to mark particular trees, which can cause premature excitement by fungi fans like me … but you soon see the difference up close.
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It looks like blue velvet. I’ve never seen it so far as I can remember.
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The edges are certainly very velvety. It can look quite dark / almost black at times and sometimes lurks underneath branches so can be difficult to spot.
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