Sussex, UK, August 2020
Weeping oak bracket (Inonotus dryadeus / Pseudoinonotus dryadeus)
This gorgeous polypore weeps an extremely bitter, honey-like liquid that slowly turns a deep blue, and finally almost black on contact with air in a process known as guttation, which seems to be a way of getting rid of excess water during periods of rapid growth, although not much is known about guttation in fungi (as opposed to plants).
Weeping brackets belong to a group known as ‘butt rot fungi’ as they attach themselves primarily to large trees at the thickest part, attacking the weakly protected area at the base of a tree’s trunk, just above the root.


















