Fungus eating Cathedral

[zigs]

Mysterious black fungus threatens 800-year-old Portuguese cathedral

Researchers have discovered that black fungus threatening an 800-year-old Portuguese cathedral is new to science. A sample of the fungus on the Sé Velha de Coimbra (Old Cathedral of Coimbra), which is designated as a UNESCO World

www.aol.co.uk

 

[Tetters]

Maybe it's this black fungus @zigs ?????????

 

[zigs]

That's the stuff that ate my caravan

 

[Tetters]

Well, I thought that was King Arthur's cup cakes

 

[zigs]

Well, I thought that was King Arthur's cup cakes

I'm not inviting him round to tea again

Daldinia concentrica - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Tetters]

I'm not inviting him round to tea again

Daldinia concentrica - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Well.... is it that one or not - that's eating up the cathedral in Portugal ?

 

[zigs]

Well.... is it that one or not - that's eating up the cathedral in Portugal ?

Probably not, as it only eats caravans and Beech trees

 

[Tetters]

SO....... I'm getting exasperated now........What b fungus is eating the cathedral then maestro ??

 

[zigs]

They don't know, it's new to science

If it starts off with Cathedrals, where will it stop?

Maybe no religious building is safe?

 

[Gail_68]

That's the stuff that ate my caravan

zigs was it damp proof as caravans to get damp and once it sets in it causes problems

 

[Gail_68]

Maybe no religious building is safe?

Vicars must know about it and have kept it a strict secret for donkies ….that's why donations never end

 

[Becky]

Woah!

More info here, including a link to the research: https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/pp-nfo012819.php

The culprits lodge their branch-like structures (hyphae) deep into the stone forming fissures and cracks and also produce polysaccharides that trigger corrosion.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Fungus name aeminium ludgeri root words:

Aeminium was the Roman name for the town before Coimbra. I suppose this is a timestamp as well.

Ludgeri appears to be a style of church or religious architecture of some sort of the period. Since the fungus is unique to the limestone quarry from which came the building material for multiple buildings and constructions of a similiar nature perhaps the fungus was found there also and the name is a grouping of some sort?

Personally, when I first read the name of the fungus I came away with a phonetic laugh having something to do with luddites saying amen. Had to look it up on google then of course. I found out about the Roman town name, but the root Lud is sort of a mocking or entertaining description as in

• play, mock, tease, trick

combined with geri which is basically old as in geriatric. I often wonder about how these things get named. Perhaps a little concern over why I feel compelled to look this stuff up is in order as well.