Alec Pankow

Latest post

Cholorociboria

While spending a Sunday wandering through Acadia National Park, Natalie and I found this interesting fallen birch branch. Depite the bark being mostly still intact and dry, the wood was stained brilliant turquoise. Very cool!

After driving home, a quick search uncovered the likely culprit: a fungus of genus Chlorociboria (likely aeruginosa or aeruginascens). Comon names include the blue stain, green elfcup, and green wood cup. While this is a type of mushroom, the fruiting bodies are less frequently seen. Instead, fungal hyphae invading the wood stain it this characteristic blue-green color through deposition of a highly conjugated napthoquinone derivative xylindein.