?
You don't say what it was growing on, but it looks like a Polyporus, possibly squamosus, which grows on trees like Elm, Acer, Pyrus and others, and can cause serious rot. Alternatively it could be P. varius, which grows on dead wood.
In a border - close to a dry-stone wall.
It looks like a bracket fungus; i wonder whether it could be growing on wood below the surface.
Never mind the fungus, love the new photo ! ;D ;D
... more mystery mushers ;D
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/20060520_0003.jpg)
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/20060520_0002.jpg)
Nice thinking, Robert - but not with a stem like this?? Big consideration, with the grandchildren around, is whether it's poisonous. Don't know of any wood in the border but I'll root around.
Yes, Sprouty, them too!
I can't think of one polypore that's poisonous tim.
They just taste horrible and are woody - enough to put an inquisitive grandchild off?
I used to love handling these as a wee sprout :)
I used to get all sorts of mysterious fungi sprouting all over the place when I was digging in large quantities of dead leaves. once I realised it was counterproductive and started putting them on the surface, the fungi disappeared.
Not before he had his hands deep in it, Sprouty!