Hawkes Wood, Wadebridge, Cornwall - 27th November 2018/10th and 19th December

Living locally I decided to spend another few hours at this excellent site of mostly deciduous ancient woodland and it paid off for sure once again. According to BMS records to date and available I probably found a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th for Cornwall species all in the space of 400 meters. The rains had subsided and I was pleased to enter a very wet woodland and stream side path. This site is often very wet or damp especially by the stream as you can imagine and fungus just keeps on popping up. My best find of the afternoon was a new species for Cornwall, in fact probably South West of England, according to records I can access. I was steadily inching my way along the main path when a tiny group of tooth like fungi was erupting from within a Oak tree, but three foot off the ground and on a dead or dying substrate. Close up these look remarkable and appear like miniature tooth type fungi. Named Phleogena faginea or aptly called English name  Fenugreek Stalkball. Other gems included a single Tricholoma lascivum (Aromatic Knight) hiding behind and at the base of an oak tree (4th), a single splendid, also small for a Milkcap and unusual in woodland Lactarious lacunarum (2nd), found at the base of a very wet boot soggy hollow, which helped the ID as normally found in bogs. Along with a first for me in Stropholoma aurantiacum or Redlead Roundhead found in large clusters at the top of the reserve on the access road, so not strictly within the reserve and on a large old wood-chip pile. A further visit a week later resulting in finding an unusual slime mould in Badhamia foliicola under a old beech log, only a very small patch but following spore ID, (something I can now achieve with my superdooper new microscope!) and extensive cross-checks indicates this species which again would be a 1st for Cornwall. Following a visit due to indoor fever on 19th for a short time, I came across a small Collybia type sps. in the leaf litter. As there wasn't much else around I thought I should check and glad I did as this was one of the smallest Lactarius sps you can find and after checking spores et al, turned out to be 2nd for Cornwall in Lactarius obscuratus! To think I could have stayed in and listened to the Archer's.

Phleogena faginea - Fenugreek Stalkball, a 1st
for Cornwall according to BMS records.

Phleogena faginea - Fenugreek Stalkball

Tricholoma lascivum - Aromatic Knight
(4th for Cornwall)

Tricholoma lascivum - Aromatic Knight

Lactarius lacunarum - no common name.
Found in very sodden wet hollow. 2nd record for Cornwall.

Lactarius lacunarum gills showing milk
and dark brown stem

Stropholoma aurantiacum - Redlead Roundhead

Stropholoma aurantiacum - Redlead Roundhead on woodchip pile

Cantharellus cibarius - Chanterelle

Hygrocybe coccinea - Scarlet Waxcap

Pluteus phlebophorus - Wrinkled Shield

Badhamia foliicola - slime mould on beech log.
1st for Cornwall also.

Badhamia foliicola spores 100x = 10.00 - 8.9µm

Lactarius obscuratus - Alder Milkcap
(2nd for Cornwall)

 

Lactarius obscuratus - Alder Milkcap

Lactarius obscuratus spores

Stara Woods, Nr Bathpool, East Cornwall - 11th November 2018

As part of the Stara Woods Community Support and Cornwall Fungus Recording Grp I attended this beautiful ancient woodland buried in the east centre of Cornwall, with mixed woodland species and glorious views once above the canopy. Visiting the Colquite, Broad and Treovis woodlands we were able to gather between us approx 47 species of fungi. Two of which were to be found to be rare, one possibly first for Cornwall if not the South West. Soon after the start and a very steep climb the local group had put on a very welcomed tea/coffee and cakes in the middle of the wood. During my time spent here  staring at which cake to avoid I picked up what could only be the less common Laccaria species of L. tortilis, or Twisted Deceiver. I don't think it was a politician, but you never know. Pholiota spumosa was growing out of rotting cut conifer logs just left of the drizzle cake. On the descent back I came across the delightful tiny mycena (Bonnet) in m. pseudocorticola found in many places where there was abundant moss on Beech. While inspecting a very old log pile near the river, I turned over a large log to show a resupinate showing a lilac coloured and flattened teeth. Pauline Penna (PP) ID'ed this later as the uncommon Ceripora excelsa (see pic). Lastly, while lazily checking out a hanging vine branch that was strangling a tree and seeing various crepidotus sps., there appeared a tiny grey cup fungi massed in a small area and needed a hand glass to see that these were a small discomycete species, not recorded often, being Proliferodiscus pulveraceous after research by PP. This has a yellow centre with white edging around the cup but goes greyer in older material. 

Ceriporia excelsa - uncommon polypore on beech log

Laccaria tortilis - Twisted Deceiver

Proliferodiscus pulveraceous - uncommon minute discomycete with yellow centre.

Clavulina coralloides - Crested Coral

Mycena pseudocorticola - on damp mossy trees

Mystery cup fungus, very small and
probably one of the many Peziza species
found in the UK.

Pholiota spumosa - on cut conifer
logs near the tea urn!

Tricholoma ustale - Burnt Knight

Local woodland, Wadebridge - 7th November 2018

Since starting this blog I have been assessing most finds on everything each specimen can provide other than microscopic detail and I hope that is due to change as the day after I went along to this site I purchased a Digital Microscope! Yessssss!! I thought I should just 'nip-out' and pick up one or two fungi to create some new material for testing the microscope during the purchasing process. I am glad I went as I headed to a very close location, in murky conditions, rain and getting darker by the second than I thought. I did pick up a few common species, one not so common in Agaricus moelleri, with many around one small area of woodland showing a peculiar pinking at the margin but also yellowing on the stem when handled, a key ID for this not so regular species. While thinking of returning, as I was going to need a torch to get out soon, I noticed a quite bright orange/brown fungus growing on a branch on the ground. I then found another close by, this one much larger. I knew then that this was something I had not seen before but couldn't think for a moment what genus this belonged to. It was only the following day thanks to ID provided by Pauline Penna, who leads the Cornwall Fungus Recording Group, which I support  also, that this was very special and quite rare. This is Hypocreopsis rhododendri, normally seen in the north of the country only. It had been seen once before in this location ten years previously, so this is a confirmation that this species survives here and is looking good for becoming a valuable site for the well being of Hazel Gloves, the English name for this unusual but somehow beautiful ascomycetes type fungus. 

Hypocreopsis rhododendri - Hazel Gloves a very rare species for Cornwall
and recognised as an A - Red-Listed protected species on the UK list.

Hypocreopsis rhododendri - Hazel Gloves

Agricus moelleri - Inky Mushroom

Agricus moelleri - Inky Mushroom gills
and yellowing stem/ring

Oswestry (old) Racecourse Park (1), Nesscliffe Hill Woods (2) and the grounds of of the Field Studies Centre (3), Shropshire - 20th October 2018

As part of a Macrofungi course I had enlisted in at the Field Studies Centre (FSC) in Preston Montford, Shropshire, I visited various local locations as part of the course work where I had hoped to work at microscopic level and to evaluate spores, etc. This was very successful, my first attempt at 10 spore tests confirming a species of Collybia being peronata (Wood Woollyfoot) and so encouraged me to take the next step for ID acceptance by purchasing a microscope/camera etc., very soon. During my explorations with the group I found the following species some of which I was able to use in my studies during the course. The FSC is an excellent facility for learning about anything connected with nature and well worth while looking into to see what may interest you in so many other areas as well as fungi. My tutors were excellent and well known experienced mycologists from the area. I should point out that much of the course is aimed at beginners' and would contribute to an overall Univ. degree or similar. I didn't do the exams but preferred to spend more time on recording and evaluating. Great food and staff by the way!!

Possible Agaricus impudicus (1) near Alder

Imleria badia - young Bay Bolete
in spruce woodland (1)

Xerocomus ferrugineus - keyed out using Kibby

X. ferrugineus cut
showing lack of staining
but yellow showing
through
lower section of stem. (1)

Hygrocybe laeta - Heath Waxcap (1)

Hygrocybe irrigata
- Slimy Waxcap (1)

Laccaria proxima - Scurfy Deceiver (1)

Laccaria proxima - Scurfy Deceiver

Collybia peronata - Wood Woolyfoot.
Spore tested x 10
providing 9.16 x 3.65µms (1)

Gymnopilus sapineus - Scaly Rustgill (2)

Clitocybe phyllopila - Frosty Funnel (2)

Lactarius turpis - Ugly Milkcap on Silver Birch (2)

Nectria cinnabarina - Coral Spot (2)

A same day hatching of the main fruiting body of
Phallus impudicus - Stinkhorn.
Even the flies hadn't found it! (2)

Lacrymaria lacrymabunda - Weeping Willow (3)

Xylaria longipes - Dead Moll's Fingers (3)

Chlorophyllum rhacodes - Shaggy Parasol (3)

Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall - 14th October 2018

After stormy weather during the preceding few days a gap in the weather allowed me to visit this delightful site, one I have meant to make for years. The southerly pathway was closed due to falling trees but the whole area is excellent for observing from the pathways even if you cannot be seen diving into bushes or seen on lawns that are not for walking on. Not so much a tree speciality site which I prefer like other gardens in the area which are almost arboretums, but lots of smaller plants and woodlands to explore, small lakes and even a rare species animal farm. While traversing the early pathways I came across the bright and sunny Orange Peel Fungus or Aleuria aurantia, which is always good to see. The next species of interest was Brown Rollrim or Paxillus involutus. At first I thought this was the very large Russula species R. foetens, but on closer inspection and seeing the gills were darker than at first seen and slightly still rolling rim, hence name, then opted for the former. The following species I first thought were a more common type of Dapperling, L. cristata but after checking, this tuned out to be Skullcap Dapperling or Leucocoprinus brebissonii. Uncommon, probably missed by many as looking very similar to the previous mentioned species but the high white gills convinced me plus lack of smell. The other highlights was an excellent restaurant/cafe which had a Sunday Roast available, loads of specially made cakes and everything else that's bad for you so enjoyed my time there as well! And - not at rip off tourist prices either - a pleasant change from other locations.

Paxillus involutus - Brown Rollrim (not uncommon)

Paxillus involutus - Brown Rollrim

Leucocoprinus brebissonii - Skullcap Dapperling

Leucocoprinus brebissonii - Skullcap Dapperling

Amanita excelsa var. spissa - Grey Spotted Amanita

Mycena haematopus - Burgundydrop Bonnet
growing on charcoal bonfire.

Aleuria aurantia - Orange Peel Fungus

Agaricus xanthodermus - Yellow Stainer