# A couple of mutants



## barry richardson (May 29, 2015)

Went to my honey hole today, and these pieces caught my eye. I'm pretty sure the first is pine, probably Mediterranean pine, since that is whats mostly around here. The bud pattern on the bark is very strange, it starts and stops in an even line and circles the piece evenly, almost looks machined. It is about 5" diameter. I've seen pine boards from the lumber yard with similar patches of birds eye like figure, so maybe it is not that unusual for pine... The other one is a complete mystery, the surface texture resembles most a morel mushroom, but I think that is some sort of mutation, it covers the entire piece. most of the bark is gone except for in the cracks, it's pretty hard and fine grained. The last picture is a cross section of the smaller branch of the crotch. Most likely I will never know what it is, no leaves, no smell.... I will probably make a lamp base out of it or something... But if it looks familiar to anyone, fire away.

Reactions: Way Cool 5


----------



## Tony (May 29, 2015)

The bottom one looks like pecan to me on the end grain cut. Both are really cool whatever they are! Tony


----------



## barry richardson (May 29, 2015)

Tony said:


> The bottom one looks like pecan to me on the end grain cut. Both are really cool whatever they are! Tony


You might be on to something there... pecan is common around here, the grain/hardness is right... it actually did have a vague smell, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I will give it the nose test tomorrow for pecan/hickory smell. Thanks!


----------



## phinds (May 30, 2015)

Wow, Barry, that first piece is amazing. I've never seen anything like that. The regularity is astounding. If somebody I didn't know had sent me that pic, I would have assumed it was machined, regardless of what they said, but you I trust. Now put that leather punch away before someone sees it.

Reactions: Funny 3


----------



## DKMD (May 30, 2015)

Maybe a woodpecker with OCD?

Reactions: Funny 4


----------



## Kevin (May 30, 2015)

That pine is the weirdest thing I've seen in the wood world. Almost looks like it grew inside some kind of perforated aluminum sheet or something. Can you show us a closeup of some of the "indentions" for lack of a better word? Is that the only piece you found? 

As to the bottom piece, sure it could be pecan but it could be a number of things.


----------



## barry richardson (May 30, 2015)

Kevin said:


> That pine is the weirdest thing I've seen in the wood world. Almost looks like it grew inside some kind of perforated aluminum sheet or something. Can you show us a closeup of some of the "indentions" for lack of a better word? Is that the only piece you found?
> 
> As to the bottom piece, sure it could be pecan but it could be a number of things.


Here ya go; Keep in mind this was all going on under the bark which has fallen away, could have been that the limb was wrapped with something perforated, which stressed it, so it started a bud where ever light reached it, who knows. it will probably remain a mystery...

Reactions: Way Cool 4


----------



## phinds (May 30, 2015)

Absolutely weird. Thanks for posting the close-up.


----------



## Schroedc (May 30, 2015)

We end up with yard trees up here that get wrapped in mesh to keep animals from eating them when they are small, Wonder if something like that grew into the tree and came off with the bark could have caused it.......

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Kevin (May 30, 2015)

Looks like SMS (symmetrical measles syndrome).

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


----------



## robert flynt (May 30, 2015)

Barry it look like each eye might be where a pine needle grew. Sounds strange but , could be.


----------



## barry richardson (May 30, 2015)

robert flynt said:


> Barry it look like each eye might be where a pine needle grew. Sounds strange but , could be.


Yea I see what you mean Robert.... Maybe some bad DNA caused it to try and grow needles on the trunk... It certainly does look like where a needle has grown, then dropped...


----------



## Bigdrowdy1 (May 30, 2015)

Dudes!!!!! Its where all the Brown Acid got dumped!!! That is some trippin wood I could look at it for hours and hours and hours and oooohhh wwwaaaa!!!


----------



## ClintW (Jun 3, 2015)

The morrel like piece would look real neat cast as blanks I could imagine. Just saying.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## TimR (Jun 3, 2015)

It would be interesting to count the number of canted rows/columns and see if they are Fibonacci numbers or sequences.

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## Mr. Peet (Jun 4, 2015)

Barry, I've had that design on several landscape trees that were guyed with nylon safety mesh that was never followed up on until we cut them down. However, the ones I dealt with had the design only 3/4 around the circumference. I've seen the same in southern longleaf pine all the way around the stem but not that long in height.
A simple pass on the jointer will reveal if it is in the wood or a product outside the wood that affected growth.

As for the Morel looking piece, cool looking, I had some black willow that looked very similar. I pointed it out to the Mrs. and she said throw it in, all burns the same. Well, it doesn't but I'll let it go....


----------



## barry richardson (Jun 4, 2015)

I've carved on it some already and they are buds that go in the wood almost an inch...

Reactions: Way Cool 1


----------

