Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: February 2025

Here we go into another year and a chilly month, so I can only expect Asco/Discos and Corts! Which is exactly what I was able to record, what I didn't realise was the extent of the rarity of some species located, many of which came through a cultivation process of rabbit dung! Still nine species were all very interesting, some potentially new species perhaps. I will run through the species found on Rabbit following a 16-day culture before I gave up the search, and they were still growing. Ascobolus brassicae, new for Gloucs on dung from a Painswick collection, the rest were all from an Alney Island, Gloucester collection. Ascodesmis microscopica spores were observed only as, try as I might, I couldn't locate the body of the discomycete itself so remains a possible. However, the spores are so distinctive with strong reticulation that it would be unusual not to be this species, or genus. See photo. Would have been 2nd record in UK only!. Another possible was Ascozonus subhirtus, but again no apothecia connected so remains a possible. This would have been new to UK if confirmed. Podospora collapsa and P. curvicolla were found and both 1st for Gloucs and 5th and 18th respectively in UK. Schizothecium squamulosum and S. tetrasporum would be 1st Gloucs/6th UK and 3rd Gloucs respectively. Sporormiella leporina again 1st for Gloucs. and 6th in UK with Thelebolus nanus being 1st for Gloucs as well. That was some rabbit! Also at Alney, I found growing on a Populus nigra 'Italica' branch near the car park on the way out Peniopherella guttulifera a 1st for Gloucs and 19th UK record. Athelia acrospora at Parson's Hill - very rare although found twice before, Durella macrospora was found growing on a Holly branch, 1st Gloucs and only 7th UK record. A short trip to The River Churn at Sth Cherney on Salix was Cryptodiaporthe salicina and 1st for Gloucs. along with Gloeocystidiellum porosum, but with 6 other Gloucs records. Also here on Betula was Stomiopeltis betulae with two other Gloucs. records. At Painswick Beacon on a stack of discarded Pinus sylvestris the tiny Hymenoscyphus codicum was identified at length, which has no hairs and scalloped margins. This would be a 2nd UK record!! I tried to get this sequenced but material just too small, apparently. When fresh they are 0.4mm, so I guess so as when dried they were like dust!. At Cirencester Park Hypochnicium punctulatum showed up and 2nd for Gloucs (after me! - I keep getting in the way). Lastly, and most interestingly on Fuchsia magellanica outside my front door while pruning last year's stems, I found a tiny Neonectria species growing. Nothing fitted until N. fuckeliana was seen but this normally grows on coniferous only. So new species? Who knows. Too small for DNA, too lazy to find out!