Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds

Thursday, 4 September 2025

AUGUST 2025 - Uncommon to rare species recorded

Considering this summer has been the warmest on record in the UK, finding fungi at all was going to be difficult and yet, look closely I recorded three species with only less than ten records or less, plus a possible new species to the UK entirely! And, not just any small asco but a giant bracket type fungus! More on that to follow! Looking at the area around the River Severn paid off with two species on Common Reed being Camarosporium feurichii and Stictis elongatispora, 5th and 6th in UK records only respectively, the latter you had to reach down at the base of the stem without falling in the water. Also 11th record in UK for Coniochaeta malacotricha, OK just a Coelomycete, but all the same rare. Growing on the stroma of Eutypella scoparia was the asexual state of Harpographium fasciculatum (4th UK). Identifying new places to visit paid off when near the village of Battlescombe, I drifted down a footpath into what probably looked unproductive until I came upon a glade of 6/7 Wych Elm trees all together. Wonderful in itself and thought there must be all types of fungi I have never seen before. Eutpella stellulata, Quaternaria dissepta and Lopadostoma gastrinium were all new to the county. I had also found a delightful cluster of Pleurotus pulmonarius or Pale Oyster at the base of one of these trees. Not that uncommon, but to see a lovely group of mushrooms in what has been a very barren time was great. A quick trip to another unknown woodland at Flisteridge Woods, just inside North Wilts was found to be a terrific Oak and Birch packed site, one that has to visited later this year. Here on Holly, an old mature tree with lots of dead branches produced a resupinate in Xylodon Asper. 1st for Wilts. The find of the month, perhaps summer was a large spongey looking bracket fungus growing on a fallen rotting trunk of what appeared to be Ash or Fagus. This was found in a private site, so need to keep this to myself for now, but was in the Sth of the county. I though this was Inonotus dryophilus due to lack of setae and pigmented spores. I have sent this away for DNA testing and should hear next month on the results. This would be NEW to the UK if correct! This has recently been renamed Inocutis dryophila. So fingers crossed. It was very watery when working on the context at home, probably why it survived growing in direct sunlight for the pass few weeks! Like a cactus.

Camarosporium feurichii

Coniochaeta malacotricha

Eutpella stellulate

Harpographium fasciculatum

Lopadostoma gastrinum

Pleurotus pulmonarius

Quaternaria dissepta

Stictis elongatispora

Xylodon asper

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

JULY 2025 - Uncommon to rare species recorded this month!

July is always going to be one of the hardest month's of the year to find unusual fungi. Change of tactics are required, and each time I go out I aim to be close to water, in all its habitats from ponds to rivers. Along the way and no fungi in evidence I have got into the habit of photographing insects, not just Butterflies and Moths but the tiny little bugs as well. Blown up (photographically) they are wonderous. So first up this month was a Coelomycete Arthrinium sporophleum found on a stem of Carex pendula close to the River in Climperwell Woods. 2nd record for Gloucs, after me! Perhaps no one else bothers. During a visit to Pinbury Park woods a resupinate under what probably was a corylus branch close to a spring stream became Botryobasidium pruinatum that has unusual hyphae filled with some sort of resin. 3rd for Gloucs. On a trip around Rudge Hill NR where more insects were the highlight, I did rummage around into the lower reaches of plant life and found under old Rosebay Willowherb Calycellina chlorinella, 1st for Gloucs. Almost in the same place and the former on the same stem, I found the 2nd record in the UK of Pirottaea imbricata, after my 1st! I must be the only person seeking this species as it is so difficult to identify yet alone find. This has unique setae so when found you will know. Also here was Pyrenopeziza dilutella, was Hyalinia. At a newly discovered accessible pond south of Minchinhampton on Greater Pond Sedge I found the rare discomycete Lachnum caricis, new for County and only 9 other UK records. The mud here had been made harder by the hot summer weather and I was able to walk out closer to the plant life at the edge which was still wet. Also here on Water Forget-me-not I found Neovaginatispora fuckelii (was Lophiostoma), few other County records. So all going well considering the blazing heat this month. At Capel's Mill, a small local NR near Waitrose, I took a walk towards the 3 metre small pond created by the hard working Stroud Project Group. Under last years old dead Yellow Iris, was Mollisia iridis (was Belonopsis). Nice. Again my feet were still dry even after this lot! Lastly a trip to Frampton Court Park near the River Severn produced a blackish smear of Coelomycete Virgaria nigra on Sweet Chestnut, 2nd for Gloucs (again after my 1st). How annoying I can be to myself.

Arthrinium sporophleum

Botryobasidium pruinatum

Calycellina chlorinella

Lachnum caricis

Mollisia iridis

Mollisia iridis marginal hairs

Yellow Iris

Neovaginatispora fuckelii

Pirottaea imbricata

Pirottaea imbricata setae

Pirottaea imbricata spores

Pyrenopeziza dilutella

Virgaria nigra

Thursday, 3 July 2025

JUNE 2025 - Rare to Uncommon species recorded this month

What is becoming the norm for June just keeps getting worse, with hottest days recorded since, etc., etc... Still fungi have ways of hiding out in odd places and so this is where I spent my time with a few pleasing finds. At Hailey's Wood found on a Carex species stem was Acrospermum graminium, few other Gloucs. records. Also at this location under a stack of Acer leaves, which means the very lowest ones are still damp, was Lachnum rhytismatis, again few others in Gloucs. Dung offers opportunities year round and this time on Sheep at Sudgrove I found the large spored Ascobolus immersus once again, still few records after a 7-day culture. Another dung species this time on Deer (probably Muntjac) were lots of Trichobolus zukalii, with its long setae hairs and multi-spored ascus. Almost attractive! An uncommon rust was detected on Butterbur at Mill End Row canal, Stonehouse in Coleosporium petasitis. Also here was Gaeumannomyces tritici, new for County. A short trip up to the NT location at Woodchester (south) as this has a café but with ridiculous priced cakes, hence I just have coffee! £4.75 for a miserable looking small flapjack. Insane. Trekking down the slope under an old Fagus fallen branch I found Mycoacia nothofagi, 1st for Gloucs, my second record having found this years ago in Sth. Bucks where I spent most of my past years. A nice discomycete in Niptera ramincola found at Washpool Woods and again looking for water at the pond in Sth Minchinhampton, I found on a Water Mint root the rare Obilia rectispora as my feet started to sink. Just four ascomata, but it was still damp .. so still lived. I nearly died, but very much worth it! An uncommon resupinate was found under Pinus at Duntisbourne Woods in Tubulicrinis glebulosus. Few other county records. Lastly, during a necessary trip down into North Hampshire, I dropped into The Chase NR near the A34, and soon after parking the car I nearly stepped on of all things a Russula .. at this time of the year uncommon, but the species not so in R. parazurea. Although I show the Guaiac reaction as negative, after 10 mins it finally turned pale blue, so positive you could say, but the strong yellow reaction to start with should be noted also, never seen in the literature. However, they are always fun to try to make these into something really rare, then of course they always aren't! Good to see.