Dunmere Woods, Nr Wadebridge, Cornwall - 27th August 2018

This site is mostly Forestry Commission land with areas available for public access halfway between Wadebridge and Bodmin. As soon as I had entered the site I came across quite a few Boletus species which were accompanied by mushrooms covered in a thick yellow or powdery dust, something I have not seen before. This I identified later as being Hypomyces chrysospermus, a parasitic fungus that grows only on boletes. Fairly common apparently but a first for me. A forest area consisting mostly of spruce was carpeted with 100's of False Chanterelle across the forest floor although not much else was found. A few 'The Flirt's' were found here and there in singles, also new to me and as I edged towards more traditional Beech and Oak trees I came upon a remarkable looking Russula. This transpired later as being Russula virescens or Greenbacked Brittlegill. This shows a mosaic pattern on the cap and can be seen here in the photo. Uncommon, but widespread I found only five previous records for Cornwall, so a nice find and obviously new to me again. On re-entering spruce forest not a great many species were showing. An immature 'The Blusher' appeared before I came across an Amanita sps which I felt transpired to be the less common Grey-veiled Amanita. It was growing alongside a seldom used pathway with a young Amanita patherina, or the deadly poisonous Panthercap. See pic.

Russula virescens - Greenbacked Brittlegill
(Very uncommon and 6th record for Cornwall)

Hygroporopsis aurantica - False Chanterelle
A beautiful example of the gill structure of a larger example.

Hypomyces chrysospermus -
a parasitic dusting fungus mould in its yellow form

Hypomyces chrysospermus -
in its white form on boletes.

Clitocybe phyllophila - Frosty Funnel in its early stages.

Amanita porphyria - Grey-veiled Amanita (Uncommon)

Postia tephroleuca - Grayling Bracket

Russula vesca - The Flirt

Marasmiellus ramealis - Twig Parachute

Trevellion Woods, west of Mousehole, Cornwall - 24th August 2018

To avoid shopping I managed to escape for an hour to what I perceived to be the nearest accessible woodland near Penzance. I wasn't disappointed except for the time I had to spend there otherwise the shopping would have been left for the specialist seagull Penzance Pirates scavengers and a very unhappy wife. Started well up the northern track and gravel road where I found a few Boletes close together but of different species. Here parkland adjoins mixed woodland with lots of Hazel, some Beech and Oak, and one amazing Maple that had fallen across a stream producing a monstrous fungi species as seen here. Well worth a much longer visit especially the real public footpath from the west end that straddles the stream NE. 

Boletus porosporus - Sepia Bolete

Xerocumus subtomentosus - Suede Bolete (large example being 12 cms)

Tyromyces chioneus - Unusual bracket often missed as anything but this species.

Xerocumus cisalpinus - found alongside road but in parkland setting. Note reddening under skin of cap

Laetiporous sulphureus - Chicken-of-the Woods probably! Not much else can be this size, largest bracket form I have seen. On Maple over stream had something to do with this no doubt.

Redlake Cottage Meadow NR, Lostwithiel, Cornwall - 16th August 2018

Following weeks of drought across the country the skies opened and wet stuff appeared for quite a few days before and thought it was a good time to look at a wet heath land site, one where I could also see wild flowers. Redlake Meadows isn't visited often and I soon found out why, however the overall trip was very satisfactory and also seeing one of the counties rarest flowers in Heath Lobelia - eventually. Firstly, the Cornwall Wildlife site promotes access from the south, which is almost impossible to find and to navigate to the access point. I went north as I was't too much interested in flora as I was in woodland and wet soil which I found by entering the site from the north at GR SX1293 5915. Here you walk due south through an oak and hazel canopy before entering a wet heath land, only one of ten in the country with this type of habitat. Once you are pass the quite friendly but skittish wild ponies, I pushed on further south into more woodland due SW. Here more species were erupting and freshly showed. Through exploring the different terrain I went across and uphill to where a gigantic very old dead oak tree lay. Not knowing what could be here I came upon what I thought at the time a fungi with very unusual markings. I dug dip on my return and followed this through with the help of my membership of the Cornwall Fungi Recording Group (CFRG) to see what this could be. I had already recorded four species of Russula and four Boletes along with some interesting resupinates. The site is difficult to navigate, the woodlands are full of low lying branches and very wet. Nothing wrong with that as exactly the conditions I wanted but unless fit I doubt others would enjoy the experience. I doubt they will find the entrance anyway! The mystery fungus turned out to be a possible first for Cornwall in Simocybe sumptuosa, thanks to the help of Pauline Penna (CFRG) for ID confirmation. An unusual Myxomycete was also found on a poroid resupinate which is also being investigated. 

Simocybe sumptuosa (1st record for Cornwall - TBC)

Simocybe sumptuosa spore print

Simocybe sumptuosa showing eccentric gills

Russula gracillima - Slender Brittlegill  (Uncommon)

Russula gracillima gills and stem

Pluteus salicinus - Willow Shield

Boletus rubellus - Ruby Bolete

Leccinum pseudoscabrum - Hazel Bolete

Leccinum scabrum - Brown Birch Bolete

Tubaria conspera - Felted Twiglet

Boletus subtomentosus - Suede Bolete

Mycena galopus var. candida - Milking Bonnet

Myxomycetes on poroid resupinate TBC

Magnified image of spiral capillitium of previous myxomycete

Hawkes Wood, Nr Wadebridge, Cornwall Sunday 5th August 2018

I visited this Cornwall Wildlife Trust site as part of a Cornwall Fungi Recording Group event. Unfortunately the leader and myself were the only participants, whether that was to do with the recent drought indicating it wouldn't be a great foray or it was just bad timing for most. The site is difficult to access, with very limited parking near the site and none at the entrance as it shares a it with residential location.  Still once we had walked to the entrance we proceeded to follow the stream due SE, which had a good level water, so brightened up our hopes. We came across a very nice young Beefsteak bracket (Fistulina hepatica) under an oak tree by the side of the path but after what was the highlight of the visit. Pauline picked out three very small Gallerina type looking fungi growing on rotting wood. This turned out to be the exceedingly rare Flammulaster muricatus having been confirmed by KewG. Probably a first for Cornwall, which is being checked. 

In addition, some uncommon resupinates were also found with Thanatephorus fusiporous, Annulohypoxylon minutellum and Ceraceomyces serpens, also known as C. crispatus. This is also very uncommon and rarely seen. Other more common species are illustrated. This is now my nearest nature reserve to Wadebridge, Cornwall where I now live and so is one I will visit again in future often. When wetter and later in the season it should produce a great deal more very interesting fungi species in this special ancient oak woodland.

Fistulina hepatica (Beefsteak Fungus)

Flammulaster muricatus ((status V/B - very rare)

Flammulaster muricatus ((status V/B - very rare)

Ceraceomyces serpens (crispatus)

Nectria peziza

Psathyrella candolleana (Pale Brittlestem)

Private site in Oxfordshire - 28th April 2018

I joined the Oxford Fungus Group (OFG) in the afternoon for a foray around a mixed conifer and deciduous woodland site where special permission had been granted and where a small band of members had gathered. I drove to the site, as I expect everyone else did, in pouring rain expecting the worse but on arrival the clouds dispersed and we all had a dry enjoyable search around the site accompanied by numerous Bluebells. There were as expected few agarics on show, one being found that proved to be an excellent find, which being one of two contested species, both uncommon, remains to be seen. Most other species consisted mostly of brackets and crusts, etc with the occasional surprise which makes fungi recording one of the pleasures in life that most people would consider odd - however they are probably watching TV right now no doubt, so good luck with that for stimulating the mind.

This is the key species that I first found close to the pathway but buried in conifer debris and no doubt growing on pinecones or similar. First identified as Baeospora myosura or Conifercone Cap after the event, I checked out an alternative which met seasonality and other characteristics of this species which didn't belong to B. myosura. The key issue to me was that Strobilurus tenacellus can be found in the Spring whereas B. myosura does not and has all 14 records in Oxon found only in the Autumn and none at this site. 

Strobilurus tenacellus - Pinecone Cap. Note heavy striated cap, and (not visible) high white fairly crowded gills and thin fragile dark stem. 6th record for Oxfordshire and confirmed by two other 1990's records found at same site and time. 

Trametes gibbosa - Lumpy Bracket

Ganoderma applanatum - Artist's Bracket  Found by member of OFG noting galls of Yellow Flat-footed Fly under

Radulomyces confluens resupinate

Reticularia lycoperdon - slime mould

Lycogala epidendron - Wolf's
Milk 

Cylindrobasidium laeve resupinate. Note whitish edge and hard delineation plus waxy and dried to quilt like pattern.



Trametes gibbosa - Lumpy Bracket

St James Park, Brackley - 24th April 2018

I was keen to try to find St George's Mushroom, although a day late I didn't think any fungi could have a human calendar embedded in it's make-up. I was wrong, as I did find a small cluster in parkland, but they must have been there for a day already as had mostly been trodden on by local dogs or whatever, but fortunately some fruiting bodies survived which I have shown here. Whilst there, I came upon a few species of Cups or Peziza species which were intriguing to find as they was a profusion of them on soil which I know had been dredged up by the local council a mth earlier. This was a mixture of darken soil, wood chips and mixture of old branch debris and manure. Quite a mixture, and so led me to push the ID on these difficult species towards Peziza repanda or Peziza varia complex.  This site is managed for the public by the local Council in Brackley whom do an excellent job of keeping the site clean and fitting for nature to take it's course. They recently introduced new wildlife notice boards to inform all of what can be expected to be seen in the site, which was highly informative, inc wild flowers, fish as well as birds, etc. Fungi wasn't listed but expected.

Calocybe gambosa - St George's Mushroom

Calocybe gambosa - St George's Mushroom

Peziza Varia complex possibility - Layered Cup

Peziza repanda possibility - Palamino Cup

Peziza repanda possibility - Palamino Cup

Hypoxylon multiforme - Birch Woodwart

Probably Phellinus pomaceus - Cushion Bracket

Astonhill Coppice and Tingewick Woods, Bucks 15th March 2018

Once again a brief foray into two local areas, the first at Astonhill*, is close to Wendover Woods and also used a lot by off-road bicycles where a multitude of tracks exist. The great thing about this place is the wonderful array of Yew trees at its entrance, hence finding the resupinate crust that goes with them.  Tingewick Woods** is an ancient woodland offering excellent fungi in season. At this time of the year then only a few all year specialties can be found, as I have shown here. Still, Polyporus leptocephalus or Blackfoot Polypore was a first for me, even if a little worse for wear as only a week after thick snow had covered everywhere.

Amylostereum laevigatum on Yew*

Hypoxylon multiforme - Hazel Woodwart at *

Botryobasidium subcoronatum (probable) at *

Polyporus leptocephalus - (Blackfoot Polypore) at **

Skeletocutis vulgaris - (Possible) at **