Pithya vulgaris
Further to previous posts on the blog regarding the fungi found on recycled Christmas trees at Ogden Water we now have fairly conclusive evidence that the fungi are in fact Pithya vulgaris - a species considered extinct in Britain since 1888. It was first described in 1870 and recorded on just one occasion in Britain.The specimens from Ogden are now at Kew Gardens awaiting confirmation and we are expecting a reply some time today.
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Wow Alison
ReplyDeleteIf correct thats a good record for us and Calderdale!
Well done to all concerned.
Well Bruce, if you hadn't noticed the fungi and Charlie and I hadn't checked them, we surely would not be where we are now, waiting for absolute confirmation of an outstanding record. A great team effort!
DeleteI couldn't sleep last night, I was so excited.
It's almost certainly correct Bruce and if you hadn't have made your original observations at Ogden Water it may well have gone unnoticed, so well done to you!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it will be correctly id'd at Kew, but does anyone mind if I send some to Roy Watling? He has replied to my email and says he would like to see a specimen which I can post to him.
ReplyDeleteYes, very exciting everybody!
That is amazing, where abouts is it at ogden,I know a few of the locals will be very interested in your find.
ReplyDeleteHi Andy,
DeleteI'm going back today, if you want to come with me?
I'll be at Ogden Water at 10.30 ish. My number is 07753403514, if anyone wants to locate me there today
ReplyDeleteThese will almost certainly turn out to be growing on imported Danish Xmas trees, (over a million annually) Pithya is almost common north of Copaegenhagen. Might want to get confirmation of tree species and check UK distribution. Never the less an excellent find and hopefully only the start, there's another 50+ species recorded as now extinct in UK.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. Mal Greaves, a mycologist with the Mid-Yorks Fungi Group, who examined the specimen, informed me that the Pithya vulgaris must have been imported. Good to hear, you have a probable location of the source, I shall investigate further. Yes, 50+ species recorded as extinct and it's my mission to rediscover some more. Happy foraying :D
DeleteHi Dorset.Mushroom.Hunters
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you. They are growing on discarded Xmas trees which are being recycled in a novel way.
The genus is Abies, mostly A.nordmannii.
The collection of trees is, I estimate, 85% Abies, 10% Pinus and 5% Picea. Just shows how out of favour the traditional spruce Xmas tree is nowadays.
I noticed today 2 individual trees of a different species of Abies, with shorter, curled needles, but they didn't have "Bruce's Orange Xmas Tree Disc fungus" on them. (Soon to get it's correct id thanks to Alison's efforts.)
There was none as far as I could see on the Pinus or Picea Xmas trees. There are plantations of pine and deciduous trees there as well, about 70 years old, but with no Abies, which is scarce here apart from a few in gardens, and generally not commonly planted in the north of England.
The Xmas trees are donated by the public to the council whose volunteer work parties stack them in a kind of a hedge all round Ogden Water, a large reservoir with a good footpath around. It's popular with the public and at one time there was a problem with dogs and people going in the water to swim. Two young men drowned one day.
I was unaware that we imported Xmas trees. Thanks for putting me right.
7/4/2013
ReplyDeleteStill a small number of Pithya at Ogden