Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: Isles of Scilly - two day and Golden Wedding. Still time for fungi.

Tuesday, 6 October 2020

Isles of Scilly - two day and Golden Wedding. Still time for fungi.

During a couple of day's escape to St Mary's and Tresco and with only seeking out fungi in passing Abbey Gardens and St Mary's Lower Moors, I came across some extraordinary species. While walking past a beach wall south of Old Town (St Mary's) I found a polypore sps oozing out of and squeezed through concrete and ex-railway sleepers. After realising this didn't have spines although appeared so on first observation turned out to be Laetiporus sulpureus. Highly unusual substrate but nevertheless interesting find. On a quick trip across to Tresco to admire the wonderful Abbey Tresco Gardens I was disappointed not to find hardly any fungi at all amongst the many wonderful tropical species of plant life. A few common Russula's and that was it. However, while my Golden wife of 50 years rested after a thorough criss-cross of the gardens I headed into the surrounding Conifers and walkways. Again, not as productive as I expected but did find growing on a grassy track near Larch a large Bolete sps. Not having microscopy tucked into my pockets, through careful studies of the sps at the time this had to be Suillus collinitus, especially noting the cap decoration. This would be only a 2nd record for Cornwall. Still we did see a Peregrine Falcon at low level and a pod of Dolphins - what more could you want. Back on St Mary's I headed for a 60 min dash around Lower Moor, just SE of the town centre and in walking distance. I only need this time to check out a small enclosure of Willow and damp surface substrate to come across some terrific species. I was able to take samples with me back home by keeping them moist in the Hotel (the room isn't cleaned during Covid) and found all in one small area Hebeloma crustuliniforme, which led me to look further and found 2nd record for Cornwall and another Hebeloma in H. theobrominum and looking further still, but within metres, Naucoria salicis - a 1st for Cornwall! All checked at home in detail. I plan to return to the Scillies next year, mindful that a local birdwatcher politely advised me - it's not the Scilly Isles, it's the Isles of Scilly. Although I insisted I did not spell the 'Silly' Isles in my head at the time.