Fungi Overtaking Silver Maple Nurse Log

[Cynthia Donahey]

I guess it's a puffball.  According to the book, it's choice as long as
the inside is white when eaten. I sauteed some yesterday.  They are pretty
choice as a matter of fact. I don't know what I'm going to do with it all.

Cynthia Donahey (cdonahey at freenet.columbus.oh.us) wrote:

: About six or seven years ago, we had a silver maple taken down.  I kept
: one very long log - I had a v-shaped hunk taken out of the middle of the
: log.  I planted it with hardy cactus and succulents. I kept one small
: section as well, which has also been planted.  They made very attractive
: planters - although I planted a moss rose too close.  Very recently,
: within the last week or so, a fungi has overtaken both pieces of this
: decomposing log.  With the exception of some slime mold on the bark, and a
: few bracket like fungi - there have been few fungi in the last few years.
: The fungi seems to be swallowing up my succulents. It is sort of light
: brown and rounded.  I expect - the logs are in an advanced stage of
: decompositon.  The weather has been warm and then cold with quite a bit of
: rain - just recently turned to snow. It looks like I'm growing these
: things for food, although I have no idea if they're edible or not.  Is
: there any kind of fungi that grows on silver maple at this state of
: decomposition?