Back during August, I and two other very boring people went on a little foray around Windsor Great Park, to look at the trees. At the height of summer, it really was polypore season, and we weren’t let down on that front – plenty of Fistulina hepatica emerging from the magnificent oaks, as well as Laetiporus sulphureus in quite awesome abundance.
We were, nonetheless, aware of a much rarer UK fungus: the oak polypore (Buglossoporus quercinus). Quite frankly, it’s very rare, and the biology of it little understood (sounds a bit like most fungi!). However, for those that are interested, there are some quite fantastic publications that one can delve into, and they are:
1. Natural England’s ‘Report on the oak polypore Piptoporus quercinus (syn. Buglossoporus quercinus; B. pulvinus) (ENRR458)‘
2. Martha Crockatt’s doctoral thesis ‘Ecology of the Rare Oak Polypore Piptoporus Quercinus and the Tooth Fungi Hericium Cirrhatum, H. Coralloides, and H. Erinaceus in the UK‘
Also check out this site for information. This page is managed by Kew Gardens.
Unfortunately, other articles are behind paywalls, and unless you are a member of the British Mycological Society then other articles won’t be available, though the other main one is again by Crockatt and, thus, likely contains simialr information to the thesis.
Anyway, as we were exploring Bears Rails (adjacent – and linked to – Windsor), we first came across – from a distance – what looked like young Laetiporus sulphureus. Therefore, we waltzed over, without a great deal of excitement, though that soon changed when we realised what we had found – oak polypore! Cue eager discussion and around ten minutes of taking photos, before walking on and discussing the find some more.
Later on, we were blessed with finding yet another example. Again, just outside of the actual Great Park, and even more hidden away. We only came across it as we were a little wary of whether we were trundling down a private road, and when we idled back it caught our eye. Again, cue lots of photo-taking!
Certainly, for those that like hunting for fungi, finding this fungus is a real treat. Of course, you cannot take it, or damage its habitat, as it’s protected by UK statute law (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981). Its host trees, very old oaks (veteran, moribund, or dead snags and stumps), are a declining population, and the Natural England report does a great job as detailing this issue further.
Indulge!
Oak tree #1
Oak tree #2
Arboriculture 
Interesting article, but I’m not so sure if I would call the Oak Poly very rare any more as it seems to turn up in most places (not all) I would expect it to be. A lot of locations are kept quiet because they are on private land or it is feared too many members of the public will come to see it and it just takes one person to say to themselves that removing 1 doesn’t matter – but it does ! Deer or squirrels are particularly fond of Oak Poly and will eat them before they have had chance to produce spores leaving just the tell-tell stubs in the fissures of the dead branches lying on the ground.
Oak poly’s never grow on the bark, but the photo of the dead standing Oak with bark still attached gives the impression it does – in fact, it has burst through the bark.
Finally, your last 2 photos show Beef Steak fungus – not the Oak Polypore.
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