Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: June 2024

Well this month proved interesting for potentially finding a new species for the UK/science, a DNA sequencing result which still left a gap in the ID and so could still be very unusual species when discovered and also at a BioBash finding the 5th record in the UK of Cryptovalsa protracta. So just like the intro to a Channel 4 new z-celebrity led docu-series where you learn all the good bits first, so you can switch off immediately! Starting with recording Athelia epiphylla at Ebworth with just one other Gloucs record, I identified the tiny Cistella carcis, found at Hornsley on Carex pendula leaves. Cryptovalsa protracta was found on an Ash twig during an invitational BioBash at the Hartpury University. Rare, but ID was fortunately easy as this has 32-spored asci. I didn't find a great deal more at this time of the year in a Univ campus grounds and came up with 18 species for the 48 hrs bash, mine was 2 1/2 hrs! Didymosphaeria conoidea was found on Nettle also here along with Mollisia caricina found on last year's Iris growth by the lake. Lastly, from here and the first basidiomycete found for some time for me was an very early Pluteus chrysophaeus or Yellow Shield and on English Elm, so nice to see these trees growing well here on campus. Gnomonia rubi was found at Cirencester Park on a small branch of Rubus. 3rd record for Gloucs. Also at Ebworth Estate I found Massaria inquinans which has gigantic spores of approx. 80µm, with just a few other Gloucs records. A short visit to Miserden Park with my fungi friend Richard we found an early Mutinus caninus poking its smelly head out but attracting two flies that were so engrossed with the odour forgot I was there! See pic. Almost lastly, a Trechispora species was very cryptic but with the help of Corticoid specialist Alick Henrici it was decided this was T. stellulata, the 2nd record for Gloucs, but not many more nationwide. Going back to March I found a very small orange discomycete, which I couldn't identify, and nor could many more experts via media links! I paid for the sequencing of the apothecia which eventually had an outcome of 98.65% being Rodwayella citrinula. Still not common with around 20 other records in the UK. However, a few things didn't match. I have now sent this to an expert ascomycete specialist at Kew and await his deliberation. The biggest mystery came about by finding what appeared to be at the time a normal whitish/grey looking resupinate but under Lawson's Cypress at Climperwell Woods. One of my favourite haunts in Gloucs. At first I was flummoxed, but after lengthy dialogue again with AlickH, it all came down to a species of Hyphoderma, except not one recognised in Europe, if anywhere!! So it has gone off to the happy 'queue' at Kew for sequencing and hope one day to find out what this could be. Note the cystidia in the photo, the key behind this species. Very unusually basally large and at the hymenium.