"Alun Saunders" wrote in message
...
George wrote:
In any case, take a peek at someone who does it differently.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/te...alted_wood.pdf

Now at least I know what to tell people who ask me how those black lines
are created ... boundaries between territories of competing fungi! A
bit like the lines you get on really old rocks where colonies of
different lichens meet I suppose.

Lichens are algae/fungi symbionts, and they certainly can do an acid job on
a rock over time .

Worth remembering after the much-discussed dermatitis episode that these
fungi have been in competition with bacteria for the same food. Thus they
have laced their prospective meal with as much as they can in the way of
mycotoxins and antibiotics. These can go well beyond dermatitis - to
anaphylaxis.