Laurel fungus in Madeira

Here’s a find from when it was possible to travel

There’s a fungus on this laurel tree:

It’s Laurobasidium lauri, which grows on the Laurel, Laurus novocanariensis. There’s only one other species of Laurobasidium and that’s Laurobasidium hachijoense, found in Hachijō-jima, Japan.

It’s caused aerial-root-like galls to form on the trunk.

Locally it is known as madre-louro, or Mother Laurel and has been used in Madeiran folk medicine to encourage blood flow, help blood clot, act against rheumatism and was also used as an insecticide.

I do love a good fungus find.