Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: FEBRUARY 2026 - Uncommon to rare species recorded this month

Quite a rainy month, which is helpful at most times for fungi. In the month I visited a Wych Elm patch I found last year with a lot more surprises this time, I visited then joined Westonbirt Arboretum as I intend to visit a lot more over the coming year. So starting with the glade of Wych Elm at Battlescombe, I found Sistotrema muscicola and 1st for Gloucs., then a hidden Diplodia melaena coelomycete which would again be 1st for Gloucs as it was just the 7th record in UK. Also here a small patch of the tinted red Hyphoderma rosecremeum would be 2nd for Gloucs. Also here was the ascomycete Hamatocanthscyph laricionis but showing the anamorph growing within in the shape of little black bottles, or more scientifically - lageniform conidiophores! Not unusual in itself but the asexual state was. A short visit to Buckholt Woods resulting in the very unusual find of a Cortinarius species in the middle of winter and still identifiable! This would be C. brunneus, 3rd record for Gloucs. and under Picea albies. There are 10 other records on BRDBI for this species in the county but all were incorrect as stating growing with deciduous trees. With Laura Dutton. At Climperwell, fields only this time, on Carex species I found Stagonospora paludosa (1st Gloucs/5th UK) and Stictis elevata on an unrecognisable dicot (1st Gloucs/13th UK). I went to Westonbirt for the first time for many months and with view to checking out species on Juniper. Never recorded species from this tree as can never find one around here! I did here, six in fact but all provided widely available species found on/with most other coniferous trees. Not a good start. However, I did find a myxo in Comatricha laxa (2nd Gloucs) and another Xylodon nespori resupinate with encrusted cystidia (3rd Gloucs). This being on Yew. Back at Climperwell and again in the fields I thought I should check the newly dumped mountains of manure/hay/debris stacks now littering the fields and placed straight across the footpath at the field edge. No one cares, just dump it. But, I was glad to find an unusual asco in Cheilymenia theleboloides littered across the stinking mass. Oh what delights fungi pull me into. I nearly fell face first once, trying to get through to the footpath! This would be 2nd record for Gloucs. Further down into the woods I found Botryobasidium obtusisporum and 1st for Gloucs. and on Western Red Cedar. Unusual substrate. A visit to Huddingknoll Hill, north of Edge village, provided a few amazing green/black discomycetes on Hawthorn. This had to be good. It was and eventually identified as Ionomidotis fulvotingeus, a lichen looking sps., with forked paraphyses towards their tops. 1st for Gloucs. A visit into Wiltshire took me back to Flisteridge Woods once again as I love this place. I had to hide from a pack of foxhunting (well pseudo trail following) dogs though first! And I had my Davy Crockett hat on as well, with tail. No I didn't. Everything is old, wonderful oak and birch everywhere plus, and with me there as well, then it just got older! A resupinate in Hypochniciellum ovoideum was 1st for the county, which is difficult to ID, but has unusual clamps and pointy basidia. Sistotrema brinkmannii was growing like a parasite on top of a Birch Polypore bracket, not uncommon but the substrate was, plus on Betula was Sistotremastrum siecicum. Finally another myxo was found on oak in Arcyria affinis. So a good month considering it was February. Look hard enough and it is busy with fungi but usually hiding away.