Fungus Foray 11th October

Due to the dry weather it hadn’t been a great start to the fungi season. Saying that, we did start finding mushrooms right from the car park.

We all had a good look at the red and white capped Fly Agarics (Amanita muscaria) and on the edge of the car park we found an Ugly Milkcap (Lactarius turpis). Along the track we saw the poisonous Brown Roll-rim (Paxillus involutus) and Wooly Milkcap (Lactarius torminosus), White Coral (Clavulina coralloides), the Miller (Clitopilus prunulus) which smells very mealy, False Death Caps (Amanita citrina) which smell of raw potatoes, Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), Brittlegills (Russulas), Deceiver (Laccaria laccata), Hypoxylon fragiforme (little brown warts on Beech branches) and an Earthball (Scleroderma citrinum). We saw our first clumps of Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) and Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) of which there would be many. We found Alder bracket (Inonotus radiatus) on an Alder trunk and half way up a Beech trunk we found the large Golden Scalycap (Pholiota aurivella). An Italian lady coming back down the track showed us her finds – a couple of the Boletales – the Cep or Penny Bun (Boletus edulis) and Brown Birch Bolete (Leccinum scabrum), and our only Chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius) and Saffron Milkcaps (Lactarius deliciosus) of the day.

We then split off from the gravel track and up the hill into some ancient Pasture Woodland. It was very dry in here, but we managed to find some more False Death Caps, a Tawny Grisette (Amanita fulva), Jelly Rot (Phlebia tremellosa) on a rotting stump, Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria Hypoxylon) on rotting wood, the large wooden-like bracket of Ganoderma australe, Shaggy Pholiota (Pholiota squarrosa) at the base of a Beech tree and, in an area of fallen trunks, we found the jelly-like Calocera pallido-spathulata, a single Burgundydrop Bonnet (Mycena haemotopus) which bleeds a dark red liquid when broken, a few Deer Shield mushrooms (Pluteus cervinus), a small Blusher (Amanita rubescens) and plenty of large Honey Fungus and further on what was left of a Jelly fungus on a twig – possibly Tremella mesenterica.

Into the Inclosure we found a large Cauliflower Fungus (Sparassis crispa), some Trumpet Chanterelles (Cantharellus tubaeformis) and Stinkhorns (Phallus impudicus) near the fence line. Down the grass track there were plenty of Bovine Boletes (Suillus bovinus) and Larch Boletes (Suillus grevillei) – the Bolete family have pores like a sponge instead of gills. There were also Russulas, Rooting Shank (Xerula radicata), more Sulphur Tuft and the brackets of Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor) and Fat Polypore or Lumpy Bracket (Trametes gibbosa) on some low stumps.

Down to the gravel track we found some large Fly Agarics, three large Cauliflower Fungi round a pine stump and a younger one further on at the base of a Douglas Fir, plenty more Bovine and Larch Boletes, Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum). Also found was a plant of Betony in flower. Near where we forded the stream we saw 3 large clumps of Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) at the foot of an Oak and on the other side of the track we found our first Collybia’s of the day – the Russet Toughshank (Collybia dryophila) and Butter Caps (Collybia butyracea). At the top of the slope we had a look at the over-wintering stage (sclerotium) of the deadly poisonous Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) on Purple Moor Grass. Along the grass track it was a little bare again but we managed to find the bracket-like Root Fomes (Heterobasidion annosum) which is parasitic on the roots of conifers. On an old Oak stump was Sheathed Woodtuft (Kuehneromyces mutabilis) and on the other side of the track was another Bolete – Boletus luridiformis, this has red pores and a red stem and turns blue when cut.

Out of the Inclosure we saw our only Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina) next to a rotten trunk and on this trunk we found a Slime-mould – tiny black spheres - probably a Lamproderma species. In the grass were the little Yellow Clubs (Clavulinopsis helvola) common in grass in woods. There were plenty of Oyster Mushrooms and Porcelain Mushrooms (Oudemansiella mucida) on a fallen Beech tree, along with Glistening Ink Cap (Coprinus micaceus), some more Golden Scalycap and the uncommon Split-gill (Schizophyllum commune). On a standing Beech trunk was a white bracket – probably Spongipellis spumeus, some more Burgundydrop Bonnets and at the base was the Common Stump Brittle Stem (Psathyrella piluliformis). Further on through the wood we found a Fallow Deer scrape made by the territorial buck. Some more Porcelain mushrooms, Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum) and our first Bay Bolete (Boletus badius) of the day. On to the grassland and Birch near the car park we found plenty of Brown Birch Boletes and Mottlegills (Panaeolus) and possibly some Hebeloma’s.

In all we had over 50 species, not bad for a dry autumn.

Simon Currie