Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: September 2022

August was another very dry month as records will testify, but it didn't stop some fungi emerging as well as some never say die fungi sleuths! I visited Ebworth National Trust Estate, where I will be visiting often over the next year. This is due to the kind invitation of the Head Ranger to survey the site for fungi. I understand this hasn't been achieved before and in an area which includes meadows for cattle grazing, natural grasslands and mostly magnificent ancient woodlands predominantly holding very tall stands of Fagus, plus Acer and Ash. On my second visit I wasn't to be disappointed again as at an elevated section under Fagus Amanita solitaria was located, this being the second for most of the West of England as specializes on Limestone (after my first last year under Taxus). Most records stem from Isle of Wight for obvious reasons. Also at Ebworth the rarely recorded Athelia fibulata was located, similar to A. epiphylla (also found) except all hyphae have clamps. A very helpful pointer. Before all these on my first visit I came by a rare boletus species in Butyriboletus fechtneri - remarkable and in two places on the same ridge. A week later this large cluster of bodies had been digested by insects and I doubt I could have made an ID! Fairly uncommon Crepidotus casparia was also found on this day. Whilst joining a very pleasant botany foray with the Gloucs. Nat. Soc. at Sharpness Point I found under driftwood by the side of the River Severn a large rust coloured resupinate. This turned out to be Gloeoporus taxicola - rarely seen outside SE England! On Pinus I think, so did it travel with the wood via the sea (and from an area as mentioned) or grow while hidden in the saltmarshes for a few years but with no other records within hundreds of miles? A rarely recorded asco was next found in Crimplewoods in Hyaloscypha fuckelii var. alniseda along with uncommon resupinate Hyphodontia arguta. While my wife laboured over the shopping at Tesco's, I wondered to a row of Tilia near a stream in Cirencester, "I won't be long darlin' - honestly". Well I wasn't (as you have guessed) as a nice rough looking resupinate was good enough as it turned out to be the uncommon Peniophora rufomarginata. Once in my pocket, it was back to the shopping and then I made the lunch! The following week, same day of course, in the same row of Tilia, I was picking up an immature Xerocomellus cisalpunis bolete - not that common. Tilia got my 'Tree of the Month' award. Back at Ebworth Estate, this time in the NW at Saltridge Woods I found a shelf bracket type fungus on Acer. After spending hrs on this with microscopy I can only think this has to be Rigidoporus populinus, (either that or a new species!) although one or two issues didn't meet with certain authors. Well they are not right all the time - who is?