Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: Wilsey Downs Woods 2

Following on from a previous visit two weeks ago (see blog 22nd Aug.), and being encouraged following the Cortinarius and other fungi found I went back for another look as the opportunities were good for new fungi as many areas remained unexplored. Once again, I wasn't to be disappointed with potentially four new species for Cornwall turning up, two Inocybe's, one more Cortinarius (had two other's two weeks ago) and a resupinate. First up but only after a long walk through various forestry tracks was a dark capped Imleria badia or Bay Bolete. Not that uncommon. I then headed east at the rear of the forest along the main track and came upon an older growth and much taller stand of Silver Fir or Albies alba. This presented good ground cover and access to enter. First finds were a cluster of Inocybe napipes or Bulbous fibrecap. Many were around the area generally and I had different examples at growth stages to examine and decide in the end they were all the same Inocybe. In one area a small group of what I thought initially were the same again, looked remarkably different as they had extremely hairy scaly caps and stems, pale gills and at different stages of growth. After painstaking work back home, microscopy and finding an all important balloon type cystidia this was looking to be the first gem of the day in Inocybe lanuginosa. First for Cornwall, probably South West England as rarely reported but probably as it is a confused species with two others and depending which name you prefer ends up being reported. I am sticking with this one as only recently eminent mycologists Laesson and Petersen have listed this as a definite species. Reported into the BMS. If that wasn't enough I reluctantly moved on, I descended into another part of the woodland where I came across a first for me, although seen fairly frequently if you look hard enough in conifer forests. This was a very young Tricholomopsis rutilans or Plums & Custard! Nearby was a much larger specimen looking absolutely amazing in the darkened area of the forest. Turning over a few very old cut logs covered with moss I found a whitish/ochre cottony looking resupinate. This turned out at home to be a first for me and Cornwall in Cristina helvetica, although it doesn't seem that rare in other counties. Perhaps under recorded through lack of visits to the right conifer forestry. Spores coloured blue with Cotton Blue stain. Next to this was another group of Inocybe's this time different again to the previous two species found already. This one had various changes inc. a cap that although hairy wasn't anywhere near as much as the previous I. lanuginosa. Again, after microscopy at home, I deduced that this was probably Inocybe subcarpta, another first for Cornwall. Starting back for my car I cut across a little used track and out of the corner of my eye caught sight of a large boletus type growing happily out in the open although growing close to a moss covered stump. Checking the pores and as these were large and angular this put me onto what would end up as Suillus bovinus or Bovine Bolete. Moving further up this track, which even dog walkers would avoid (saw many today again - this time a little more friendly just because I DIDN'T have a dog) two pale capped agarics stood out under the edge of the conifers. Again after careful examination and helped greatly by a loud violet stem, good spores etc came in as Cortinarius stillatitius - the very species I had not taken with me last week as it had gone over, as this family too often does. Phew, what a day! And people think I'm nuts, but with days like this then it makes seeking out and identifying difficult species all the more gratifying and proving the amazing diverse range of nature that exists if only you take the time to look for it.