Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: July 2021

Sunday, 4 July 2021

JUNE 2021 - Uncommon and rare species

June was a little dry but I stuck to dampish areas as much as I could as at least most ascomycetes had a chance of still surviving. First up was a basidiomycete in Crepidotus applanatus, not so common and found in an early state and so more easily recognisable. Many other ascos across the month included the unusual but spectacular looking Dinemasporium strigosum - hardly recognisable at the time with the naked eye but under the microscope it provides fireworks! Found on wood, which is very unusual, so my guess this one is a variant of sorts of this mostly unresearched genus. Only a few records of Episphaeria fraxinicola exists, and I have another one in Cornwall also! Must be as it is so small and indistinguishable and often missed. A Hyaloscypha species turned into the rarer variant H. fuckelii var alniseda after careful examination. The nominate was also found in June so added here for comparison. Hymenoscyphus menthae was a nice find besides a marshy area and therefore wet branch, which is where this thrives. A Myxomycete with only two mature examples still showed it to be a new find for me in Macbrideola cornea, with a 'burnt out oak tree' as a sure sign of this species representing the capillitum. Two exciting finds in the Mollisia genus were M. atlantica and M. benesuada. Any Mollisia needs careful examination and these two more than most. Key in the former were septate spores in and out of the ascus. Pyrenopeziza millegrana rounded off a good month. Lets hope Fungus Groups will get back together soon and we can actually talk with other fungifolks.