Hardcastle Crags 26-03-2014

I started the walk with Basil from Midgehole car park and just wandered around off the beaten track for a couple of hours. 

Pinecone Cap (Strobilurus tenacellus) - above and below.

Spores hyaline, ellipsoid and smooth. 5-6.5 x 2.5-3.5 microns.

Cheilocystidia pointed and encrusted above the hymenium. 

Snowy Disco (Lachnum virgineum). 

Oak Mazegill (Daedalea quercina) - above and below.

Spores ellipsoid/allantoid, hyaline and smooth. 5-7 x 2.5-3.5 microns.

Fringed Polypore (Polyporus ciliatus). Cap above and pores with a visitor below.

The pores are very fine and small. 

Spores allantoid, smooth. 5-6 x 1.5-2 microns. 

Lumpy Bracket (Trametes gibbosa) - above and two below.

The top of the bracket.

You can see the threads of mycelium on the left hand side of the log. This part was submerged underneath some woody debris and leaf litter.

Calocera pallidospathulata.

Pine Needle Split (Lophodermium pinastri) - above and below.

Spores hyaline, covered by gelatinous sheaths which you can see faintly around the spores. One end pointed, the other end rounded. 70-88 x 1.5 -2 microns. I have no idea at all what the pip shaped spores are but I found hundreds of them. They were hyaline and smooth 3.3-4.5 x 2-2.5 - any suggestions would be welcome.

North Dean Wood 25-03-2014

A few finds from my walk with Basil.

Heteromycophaga glandulosae on Witches' Butter (Exidia glandulosa) attached to oak (Quercus. sp). The galls themselves are very tough compared to the gelatinous, soft bodies of the Exidia.

Hyphae with clamp connections. Conidia oblong with drops. 7-10 x 2.5-3.5 microns. 

Beech Tarcrust (Biscogniauxia nummalaria)

Peniophora quercina.

Reticularia lycoperdon a species of myxomycete. It resembles a piece of bubble gum to me.

Hardcastle Crags 24.03.2014

Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae) on a fallen Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) log.

When I saw this at first I had no idea what it was. It was completely desiccated but I took some home and rehydrated it and it turned out to be Phlebiopsis gigantea on Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris).

Rehydrated specimen photographed the following day and what a complete transformation.

 Lamproystidia awl shaped and densely encrusted beyond the hymenium. 

Lumbutts 22.03.2014

While visiting the Top Brink Inn I spotted this False Morel (Gyromitra esculenta).
There are only a handful of records for this area.

It was growing out of the bottom of the wall.

Here you can see the short hollow stipe.

Milner Royd Nature Reserve 21.03.2014

These are what Michael and I found whilst wandering through the reserve.

Scarlet Elfcup (Sarcoscypha austriaca) looking quite tatty after something had been nibbling them.  

Common Tarcrust (Diatrype stigma).

Chaetosphaerella phaeostroma on Willow (Salix caprea).

Peroneutypa scoparia on Elder (Sambucus nigra) - a new one to me.

Asci 8-spored, no reaction in Lugol. Ascospores pale brown, smooth curved , 2-guttulate. 4.5-6.6 x 1-2 microns

Glistening Inkcap (Coprinellus micaceus).

Hardcastle Crags 20-03-2014

I had a quick walk with Basil from Clough Hole car park and did a loop behind Gibson Mill and back to the top before the rain arrived.

Antrodia xantha above and below. 

Angular, rounded and irregular pores.

Clamps present - seen in Congo Red above and the subiculum had an amyloid reaction in Lugol below as opposed to Antrodia serialis which does not.

I found a couple of False Truffles popping up out of the ground.

 I washed them at home and cut them in half and you can see the contents below.

Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)

When I saw these from a distance I did think at first that they were Hoof Fungus (Fomes fomentarius) but it was only when I looked underneath and scored them, I realised they were a Ganoderma species which turned out to be Artist's Bracket (Ganoderma applanatum). Found on Beech (Fagus sylvatica).

They were deceivingly hoof-like.

Spores broadly elliptical, truncate, brown and minutely verrucose. 7-8 x 4.5 -5.5 microns

Brittle Cinder (Kretzschmaria deusta) on Beech (Fagus sylvatica).

Tom identified this a Common Toad (Bufo bufo) which I met on the path behind the back of the mill and it appeared to be injured. I think that somebody must have stepped on it as its body was covered mud and gravel and it made no attempt to move away as I photographed it.  I hope that it will be okay.