Friday, January 24, 2020

Pithya vulgaris fruiting again - January 2020







SB photos 19.1.20

The celebrated Pithya has started fruiting again at Ogden Reservoir, Halifax.
There were many places where it showed on the side of the reservoir opposite the car park.
It seems to be unrecorded anywhere else in the UK. 
Its identity was determined by our fungus recorder, Alison Galbraith, a few years ago after our member Bruce Hoyle first photgraphed it and realised it was something unusual.
Alison had it identified at Kew Gardens, London, (Fungus curator's name ?)
Before that it had only been recorded once in the UK, in the North East, in 1888!
It is sometimes referred to as Fir Disco, as it grows almost exclusively on recently dead firs (Abies spp.)
At Ogden reservoir it is on old Christmas trees, Abies nordmanniana, or Caucasian Fir, which in recent years has become the most commonly used tree for Christmas.
These are donated by people and used to build a thick barrier around the reservoir to discourage people and dogs getting to the water.
Two young men drowned here a little while back while taking a dip.


(I am using the singular "fungus", though many people now seem to use "fungi" for singular as well as plural. Am I out of step?)

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Trooping Funnel

Hello all,

Just put this up to notify everyone of an interesting circle of fungi
around a tree in a field opposite Claude Hellowell trucks.
I wouldn't know how to get near to it but observing from the road is good enough for me.
They are big fungi.:-)




Sunday, November 3, 2019

Rishworth Moor Fungus 29 10 2019


Looking over the moor

ID please above

ID Please

think  the top one is a Heath Waxcap?

ID above

Dusky Puffball

Thought a Roundhead species but not sure. ID please.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

More Luddenden fungi!

Clouded Funnel-Clitocybe nebularis



Weeping Widow-Lacrymaria lacrymabunda
This fungus has a felty cap, and gills that 'weep' black droplets (seen in bottom image).
The black spores give a mottled appearance to the gills.

Wrinkled Club-Clavulina rugosa

Sulphur Knight-Tricholoma sulphureum, which can be identified by its strong smell of coal gas. 

Sulphur Knight-Tricholoma sulphureum
and Amethyst Deceiver-Laccaria amethystina

  Honey Fungus-Armillaria mellea

 Brown Rollrim-Paxillus involutus (young specimen)
This fungus is deadly poisonous, causing a breakdown of red blood cells,
which over time lead to liver and kidney failure.
It is still eaten in some parts of Europe!

 Shaggy Scalycap-Pholiota squarrosa

 Common Earthball-Scleroderma citrinum


 Black Bulgar, or Popes Buttons- Bulgaria inquinans




Butter Cap-Rhodocollybia butyracea

 Yellowleg Bonnet-Mycena epipterygia
Note the yellow colouring on the very sticky stipe

Luddenden Grassland Fungi

As it's miserable weather today, I thought I would catch up on recording some of my grassland fungi findings of the last few weeks.
Dusky Puffball- Lycoperdon nigrescens


 Peppery Roundhead-Stropharia pseudocyanea 




The above are a selection of Earthtongues.
These are the 'G', in the CHEGD indicator species of unimproved grassland fungi.
Earthtongues are split into three categories;
Geoglossum, Trichoglossum, and Microglossum.
They are difficult to identify without the aid of a microscope.
The specimen in the bottom two images clearly has hairs,
so I'm presuming it's a Trichoglossum (Hairy Earthtongue) species.
I did find other hairless specimens, including the one in the second image.
Peachy Steve is going to dust off his microscope, so we can have a better chance of narrowing down an identification.


 The above images are of the Blue Edge Pinkgill-Entoloma serrulatum.
This is one of the easier Entolomas to identify,
with its velvety, blue-black cap, and its serrated, blue edged gills.

 Lilac Pinkgill-Entoloma porphyrophaeum
This is a large, robust species, that is tinged purple and often seen with a twisted stipe,
as the picture above shows.
Entolomas form the 'E' group in CHEGD indicator species.

 Scarlet Caterpillarclub-Cordyceps militaris
This club fungus grows from the buried larvae of butterflies and moths


Crazed Cap-Dermaloma cuneifolium
Dermalomas are the 'D' in the CHEGD list of unimproved grassland indicator species.
Note the pale edge to the cap, and the way the cap cuticle overhangs the edge of the gills. 


The following images are of Waxcaps.
These are the 'H' (Hygrocybe) in the CHEGD indicator species, and come in a stunning range of colours.
The above image shows the variety of colours that the Parrot Waxcap- Gliophorus psittacinus can be found in.

 Scarlet Waxcap-Hygrocybe coccinea

Goblet Waxcap-Hygrocybe cantharellus
Note the scales to the cap, and the deeply decurrent gills.

Splendid Waxcap-Hygrocybe splendidissima 
This waxcap has pink/orange gills with a paler edge.


 Vermillion Waxcap-Hygrocybe miniata
 Top image pictures the fungus next to a small hand lens, so gives an idea of its small size.
Note the scurfy texture of the cap. 

Meadow Waxcap-Cuphophyllus pratensis
This fungus is firm fleshed, has a cap ranging from deep orange, to apricot, and fading to buff.
Stipe can be white, or apricot tinged. Its gills are decurrent.


 I think this specimen may be the Persistent Waxcap- Hygrocybe acutoconica.
Went back to get a second opinion from Peachy Steve, but it was no longer there!


Blackening Waxcap-Hygrocybe conica

Glassy Waxcap-Gloioxanthomyces vitellinus
This fungus has a relatively long stipe compared to its small cap.
This specimen had a cap measuring 1.5cms.
It is fairly short lived in my experience.  

 Orange Waxcap-Hygrocybe aurantiosplendens
Note the sticky cap that is darker orange to the centre, the pale yellow gills, and the powdery apex to the stipe.

 The above two images are of the Glutinous Waxcap- Hygrocybe glutinipes.
This fungus is extremely slimy/sticky.
If you zoom in on the stipe on the top image, you can see the globules of slime.

 Pink Waxcap-Porpolomopsis calyptriformis
Clearly showing why it is also called 'The Ballerina', with its upturned 'tutu'

Slimy Waxcap-Gliophorus irrigatus

 Honey Waxcap-Hygrocybe reidii
The 'C' fungi that complete the CHEGD indicator species are the clubs.
I have included the ones I have found over the last few weeks, but apologies for the poor photos!
? both Apricot Club-Clavulinopsis luteoalba.
I'm not very good at these! Peachy Steve?

 Smoky Spindles-Clavaria fumosa

 White Spindles-Clavaria fragilis

Meadow Coral-Clavulinopsis corniculata