Tony Hardware's Fungi Finds

Wednesday, 2 August 2023

JULY 2023 - Uncommon to rare species of fungi found this month. Lots of rain helped!

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.

Basidiodendron cinereum

Basidiodendron cinereum cystidia

Coprinellus pusillulus

Coprinellus pusillulus cystidia

Coprinellus pusillulus

Coprinopsis pseudoradiata

Coprinopsis pseudoradiata pileio.

Didymella caulicola

Flagelloscypha orthospora

Gloeocystidiellum permixta

Gloeocystidiellum permixta cystidia

Gloeocystidiellum permixta - extra long cystidia!

Gloeocystidiellum permixta

Leucoagaricus subcretaceus

Mazzanta angelicae

Ophiobolus acuminatus

Psathyrella prona

Pyrenopeziza depressuloides

Sordaria polyspora

Trematosphaeria clarkii

Friday, 7 July 2023

JUNE 2023 - Uncommon to rare species of fungi recorded this month

Well June is normally one of the slowest months for recording Fungi owing mostly to the weather and this month was no exception, even worse it was the hottest June on record in most parts of the country. During Summer I tend to stick close to water, wherever I can find it, maybe spring streams/brooks in woodland, lakeside or rivers. Even so some interesting fungi were found starting with an agaric, so even more surprising, at nearby Stratford Park. By the side of a very public park footpath, children and dogs brushing the fungi almost at times, I found Cyclocybe cylindracea, one of the few species found during summer but with only 6 UK records. I was cock-a-hoop. Even the children and the dogs thought I was odd as my face was only a few cms off the grass. Some others this month included Arcyria obvelata (Myxomycete), although not uncommon thought I would inc. this for its unusual growth pattern. Next up was found on a grass species which I thought may have been a hyphomycete at the time, turned into what probably is a type of Smut class of fungi, something I am not familiar with. Even odder is the hexagonal spore type and added here in case anyone can identify! Found at Newark Park on Hogweed was Didymosphaeria conoidea after 5 other records for Gloucs. all from a Merle Marsden. This lady recorded fungi mostly in the 1990's and was prolific. I would often think I found something new for the county and then up pops Merle again. I would have loved to have met her. On another indescribable grass species I found Lewia (was Pleospora) infectoria with the need to check many species as this one had 5-traverse and one longitudinal septa. Just a few county records. Orbilia luteorubella was also found under damp Corylus. Another unusual Myxo. was found growing through a resupinate Ceripora reticulata. This was Paradiacheopsis rigida, which took some time to ID. New for County. Whilst waiting for a friend in a car park at the Churchill Hospital, what else can you do except look at dead dicots and monocots in flower beds. One turned out to be Lewia (was Pleospora) scrophulariae at home and 1st for Oxon. At Dinbury Park nth. of Sapperton alongside a small unfenced large pond (quite dangerous looking to me) I found a dead stem of Water Dock (Hydrolapatum rumex). Just one! However it held at its base what I had hoped Pyrenopeziza polygoni - just the second county record. And I didn't fall in, which I had expected! Lastly, a fairly unusual resupinate was found under Prunus in Scopuloides leprosa.

Arcyria obvelata

Mystery Smut sps.??

Cyclocybe cylindracea

Didymosphaeria conoidea

Lewia infectoria

Orbilia luteorubella

Paradiacheopsis rigida

Lewia scrophulariae

Pyrenopeziza polygoni

Scopuloides leprosa

Thursday, 1 June 2023

MAY 2023 - uncommon to rare fungi species located this month. One new to UK species and four new to Gloucs.

The recording of fungi this month drifted off towards the end of the month as it became drier, as you would expect. I still had time to find some fascinating species of fungi, the best being a few tiny discomycetes on Carex pendula stem nearby in Stratford Park in Stroud.

However, I'll start with Acrospermum graminum found also on Carex pendula or Drooping Sedge, this found at Ebworth near the ponds, so helping keep it damp. A delightful, can't be mistaken ascomycete as can be seen here in the pic below. At the wonderful Crickley Hill on an Ulex twig the diminutive Capitotricha bicolor (was Lachnum) was found, 1st for Gloucs. Also here while looking for and failing to find Common Morels (loads were reported!!) I was happy to locate on the local cattle dung two species in one, er bit, inc. the easily observed Peziza fimeti, not so for the buried Coprotus granuliformis. Both being new for Gloucs, so these made up for lack of Morels. While pottering around my garden, I checked some damp cut Apple logs in my neighbours garden, but I can access easily! Here I came across a rare fungus in Ceriporia aurantiocarnescens - 5th in UK! All checked of course under the scope etc. Slightly more common but no doubt because it is on an unusual substrate being Honeysuckle or Lonicera, Diaporthe cryptica was still new for Gloucs and all the Sth of England and all in my back garden. Amazing. There must be lots of fungi staring at folks in their gardens. While enjoying a quick look around my local Park in Stroud, I checked some more sedge at the bases, unusually at the top of a rise and fairly dry but digging deep I found a few discomycetes as mentioned earlier. One mature decent example proved vital as it proved all the evidence I needed to call this Cistella albidolutea. New for UK, or just no records listed under this species? On Yellow Iris at a small nature pond near me I found Dendryphiella vinosa at the bases which were all immersed in water also. On a Salix viminalis leaf Drepanopeziza salicis was discovered at Church End nr. Stonehouse.