Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: August 2023

As each month begins at this time of the year I expect a fall off of fungi due to the seasonal activity and growth patterns of this amazing kingdom. Well, again this was not to be, pleasantly, as a whole stack of species were found and of importance in July. No doubt the added rain this month helped, but ask myself is climate change affecting the fungi seasons now also, so I will expect to see a lot of fungi out next month thinking it's Autumn already. First up is a waxy corticioid Basidiodendron cinereum, oddly growing not under but on top of a coniferous branch and showing a bright blue colour. Most odd but new for County. After collecting deer dung at Lechlade and after a six-day damp culture I was able to identify the more unusual Coprinellus pusillulus, a very delicate species where once you open up the culture lid it collapses very quickly due to a very thin stem <0.5 mm and added oxygen. 1st everywhere in UK except Norfolk, where I think someone has specialised and knows how to extract this fungi. Another species and under culturing was Coprinopsis pseudoradiata found on Fallow Deer dung and 1st for Gloucs. On a Dipsacus fullonum dead stem at Lechlade by the River Leach, I found a species with only two other UK records, one of which was mine! A record from Cornwall. It is unusual as it is restricted to this plant species and is Didymella caulicola. So third in UK! On a day out into Wiltshire and ending up at Castle Coombe (delightful village and nice Guinness in the pub) on Cirsium erriophorum (Woolly Thistle) I found a few tiny white dots! It could have been dots before my eyes again, but chose to bring these back and turned out to be the rarer Flagelloscypha orthospora - new for Wilts and with only 13 other UK records. Difficult to ID but the spore shape is significant here. Also here I found Ophiobolus acuminatus on Arctium this time. Few records in Wilts. What was more amazing was finding four different species of Pyrenopeziza on various types of Dicots the most important was P. depressuloides with only nine other UK records, perhaps named as not often found!! Others were P. adenostylidis, P. esharodes and P. revincta. All in fields sth of the village. The next find was the location as well as the fungi. I have never been to Barrow Wake before, but what a view! Good parking, stacks of habitat and footpaths. However, the best find of the month found here was a waxy creamy resupinate corticioid which after microscopy I couldn't work out what it could be from the available literature other than the correct genus. Sensing something important I received assistance from my friend and incredibly experienced mycologist Alick Henrici of the BMSoc. He was able to identify Gloeocystidiellum permixta - with just three other UK records. I was able to provide material for DNA analysis and was sent to Kew. On a spare 60 mins I popped down the local supermarket where nearby is my favourite woodchip pile! Always fungi growing year round on this stack! This time just away from the woodchip I found two examples of high white very large fungi agarics one 10cms and the other 17 cms wide. This transpired to be the rarer Leucoagaricus subcretaceus and new for County with just 9 other UK records. On Hogweed at Barrow Wake Mazzanta angelicae was found - 1st for Gloucs., as was also found unusually on old cow dung Psathyrella prona, also uncommon. On rabbit dung this time from Juniper Hill (sad no Juniper) after a five-day culture grew Sordaria polyspora - 2nd UK! Latest in this hectic month (what's October going to be like!!) Trematosphaeria clarkii - few records in Gloucs. Phew, I need another Guinness.