Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) with a northern tooth fungus (Climacodon septentrionale)

This is not so much about sugar maple as it is about the amazing fungus on it.  In the middle of the Quad is a large sugar maple with a Northern Tooth Fungus (Climacodon septentrionale).  This fungus is parasitic and is predominantly found on maple trees, where it can compromise the mechanical strength of the trunk by causing heartrot.  The latin name of the fungus describes a lot…climac (G) A ladder; odon (G) A tooth; septentrion (L) Northern.  So there you have it, the Northern Tooth Fungus, which is shaped like a ladder.

Posted by Brett Huggett