Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds: July 2026

While trying to escape the heat I headed for the woods, this time at Standish Woods north east of Stroud. Here I found just a few examples of the unusual Dendrostilibella prasinula, a small smooth yellow discomycete which often has a asexual form growing alongside, not so this time. This hyphomycete found was lucky as it was imbedded within a resupinate, as most are if you are to find them, this one at Oakley Woods (part of Cirencester Park) and Dictyopolyschema pirozynskii would be 2nd UK record! As I said - lucky. At Climperwell Woods and after some welcome rain it did wake up a few species one being the waxy Exidiopsis effusa, if found in winter turns into an icicle like form. Also here was a welcomed basidiocarp, solitary and young, but showed to be Lyophyllum ellisii, 3rd for Gloucs. Another waxy type resupinate with longitudinal basidia after a long discussion online became Stypella dubia, 5th for Gloucs but new for me. Back at Oakley Woods I found an unusual 'fluffy' scattered growth which turned out to be the asexual anamorph of Botryobasidium candicans (Haplotrichum capitatum). The teleomorph not being that unusual. Here also hiding under a branch, anything above would have been too hot to survive, was Hyphoderma sibiricum, 4th UK and 1st Gloucs. Found on Picea. It has amyloid drops in the hyphae and spores. Lachnum pudibundum was a good find at Buckholt Woods (5th Gloucs.) Can't really mistake this genus as most have short or long lanceolated paraphyses. Back at Oakley and growing on moss, I recorded what I thought was the anamorph state of Muscinupta laevis, and unusual fan-like fungus. I went for the first time to Whitcliff Park, near the Severn river which is a remarkable old parkland from the 16th century where a selfish old lord kicked off all the peasants but planted stacks of trees and so full of ancient oaks and limes, plus much more. I will be going again in the Autumn! Here on Oak I found the small pyrenomycete Patellaria atrata - 9th UK but my 2nd record! A visit to the river Severn due to the heat was in order and hunting through the Common Reeds I found a minute ascomycete from the Stictis genus. I tried to get this sequenced but unfortunately it was corrupted through other fungi, however, due to the existence of the anamorph state as well as teleomorph I put this down to S. immersa. New to the UK, but unproven. Lastly, during a welcome holiday in Ireland and visiting the amazing Powerscourt Gardens in Co. Wicklow found a large bolete growing at the side of one lawn close to a multitude of tree species. By taking two photos I was able to ID Suillellus luridus, or Lurid Bolete. Nice considering I wasn't looking for any fungi during my trip.