Death, decay and beauty

This is part of a huge branch of a beech tree that crashed to the ground during last winter's storms.

The dark dotting and winding lines within the wood are known as spalting and are caused by fungi. Although primarily found in dead wood, spalting can also occur in living trees when stressed. The dark lines show where there are concentrations of darkly-pigmented fungal hyphae and represent an interaction zone in which different fungi have erected barriers to protect their resources for themselves.

The unique coloration and patterns in spalted wood are very attractive and the wood is much sought after by wood-workers and wood-turners. You can see an example of such work in Tempus Fugit's collection of Easter eggs; the wooden one to the right.