Daedalea quercina

(L.) Pers.

A trio of mature brackets on a well-decayed oak stem in Thorndon Country Park, Essex.
A young fruiting body with a purplish hue against the wood substrate (oak) at Hatfield Forest, Essex
Numerous brackets growing around an old abscised branch stub on oak in Bowers Gifford, Essex
Small brackets developing 12m up a mature oak on an old pruning wound in Harlow, Essex
The distinctive maze-like quality of the bracket underside at Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire

A trio of mature brackets on a well-decayed oak stem in Thorndon Country Park, Essex.
A young fruiting body with a purplish hue against the wood substrate (oak) at Hatfield Forest, Essex
Numerous brackets growing around an old abscised branch stub on oak in Bowers Gifford, Essex
Small brackets developing 12m up a mature oak on an old pruning wound in Harlow, Essex
The distinctive maze-like quality of the bracket underside at Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire
Within the scaffold crown of oak on an historic wound in Billericay, UK.
Abundant fruit bodies on an oak monolith at Burnham Beeches, UK.
Senescent upturned bracket on fallen oak in Brentwood, Essex.
The maze-like tube arrangement characteristic of this species.
The light beige deep tube layer and darker beige-brown flesh of fruit bodies.

Common name

Oak mazegill.

Often found on

English oak.

Sometimes found on

Other oak species and additional broadleaved species (very rarely).

Location

Fruiting bodies emerge from areas of exposed heartwood on the stem of the tree and up in the crown upon scaffold limbs – this includes on pruning wounds and storm wounds. Persists on dead trees – sometimes abundantly.

Description

Perennial. Tough and woody. Cuts quite easily with a blade. Upper surface generally a mixture of tan browns though can begin / be rimmed purplish-mauve. Flesh a light beige. Deep tube layer. Pore layer whitish-brown. Pores very maze-like – sometimes almost gilled. Unmistakeable.

Confused with

None.

Significance

No research has been undertaken on the pathogenicity of this fungus. On living trees, fruiting bodies highlight local areas of decay. Where fruiting bodies appear along the stem in multiple locations, coalesced decay column might form. Investigations into hollowness are only generally required in such scenarios.