Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: SEPTEMBER 2021

A very dry September didn't help a lot but like all fungi it takes something drastic before they stop coming through. The first noted here was the relatively common Bulgaria inquinens, added here to just show the unusual spore configuration. On cow dung at Woodhouse Fields nearby I found the fairly uncommon Cheilymenia granulata, mostly young FB's but a few mature examples provided the microscopy needed. In nearby Bowbridge, my local patch, I found a single growth of Lesser Burdock or Arctium minus with a heavily encrusted rust on the leaves. This was Golovinomyces depressus. Must have been named after a bad day. Quite lovely to look at. Again at Bowbridge and at my almost favourite Willow spot by a small stream I found a Hebeloma, which as usual was difficult to ID species, but digging deep this became H. leucosarx. Not uncommon. Also found here but on a thick Rubus stem I re-found the very rare Hysterobrevium smilacis. This species I found earlier this year under the same Willow, but on the wood substrate. That was the 3rd record for the UK, so the Rubus find was the 4th!! Also widespread but nor often recorded I found on Hazel Nut the long-stemmed Hymenoscyhus fructigenus. Probably quite common but you need to dig around a little to find these. At Sapperton Woods and in a very dry spell I still found a single Inocybe, or as now renamed Inosperma maculatum. Fairly uncommon only. Also while here and only a few metres away were a few Russula olivacea, which gave me a merry dance around the options most Russulas have. Having the most up-to-date ref books is essential to enable species ID. Nearby there are two wonderful high-elevation 'Commons' which really are ancient grasslands looked after for public use, inc loose cow herds, which makes interesting meetings sometimes, especially on the roads there. Here at Rodborough Common, in the full glare of the sun but close to Common Rockrose mounds I found a few Lactarius I have only found once before a few years ago which I couldn't ID at the time. More experience and these were obviously Lactarius evosmus, especially after tasting them. Fiery! Not many records. A nice find was a grouping in the grasses of Macrolepiota mastoidea.