Crimsworth Dean 21.08.2014

Found on a wet day with Basil whilst walking through the wood. 

Orange Mosscap (Rickenella fibula) above and below.

Beech Jellydisc (Neobulgaria pura) had colonised this old Fagus sylvatica trunk.

Dusky Bolete (Porphyrellus porphyrosporus), a species found mainly in the north of Britain. I've found quite a few records of it in Yorkshire and I did find it last year at Broadhead Clough too.

The base had a bright yellow area that rapidly bruised blue after I had cut it.

 Vinaceous spore print. Spores 13-17 x 5.5-7 microns.

Larch Bolete (Suillus grevillei).

Wrinkled Club (Clavulina rugosa) above and below.

Whitelaced Shank (Megacollybia platyphylla). Attached to a daed fallen Fagus sylvatica branch by long strands of rooting mycelium.

Spores 6-8 x 6-7 microns.

 Bay Bolete (Boletus badius) above and below.

Wrinkled Shield (Pluteus phlebophorus) above and below.

Cap cuticle has rounded cells instead of filamentous ones.

Spores subglobose 6-7.5 - 5-6 microns.

Cheilocystidia are not horned. 

Devil's Bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis).

Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus). Thanks to Chris Brooks who identified it for me.

Scout Road Park 14.08.2014

Oliver and I found Weeping Widow (Lacrymaria lacrymabuna) on the park. I don't recall seeing them there last year. 

Not the best example to show the gills exuding watery droplets but you can just see a few at the top of the stem.

Bits and Bobs

I've had the summer holidays off with Oliver and I haven't had the time to post anything due to lack of time as I have been busy doing activities with him so I'm going to try and catch up if I can. Shown below are just a few things that I thought were quite interesting just to get the blog going again.

Mal Greaves identified this as Hypholoma fasciculare var. pusillum.  This was found at High Royd Wood, on the 25th July. It is a miniature version of Sulphur Tuft and it never gets any bigger than this. Peachysteve and myself kept seeing it as it is quite common around here but we could never identify it so I was very relieved when Mal did.

Melanostoma scalare a species of hoverfly that I found to be infected with Entomophthora muscae on 09/08/2014. The were five of them clinging to a stem of False Oat Grass in the path behind my house.  Thanks to Dluogs and Colin Duke for assisting with the identification of the hoverfly.

Conidia campanulate with apical point. 25.5-29.7 x 18.7-23 microns.

I have seen lots of Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) this year. This particular one I found with Peachysteve at Roger Gate, Hebden Bridge on 30/07/2014.

Thyphula unicalis popped up on my dead sunflower stem in my garden on 20/07/2014. They are very fragile, tiny white clubs. 

Spores ellipsoid and  5.5-7 x 2.5-3.5 microns.

Hymenostible muscarium parasitising a dead fly. Mal Greaves identified this for me. This is the anamorphic (asexual) stage of Ophiocordyceps ditmarii, before the fruiting heads become mature. You can see in the photograph  they are two sterile stalks without the fruiting body at the apex.

Fungi at Ogden

One of my first this season and rather pretty fungi was seen at Ogden on Thursday on grass. My (wild) guess as to species is Coprinus plicatilis. I trust our local experts will correct me.

Alison suggests that this is one of the many Parasola and can only be identified microscopically. As the specimen has gone we can go no further. 

North Dean Wood, Copley 03.07.2014

Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) above and two below

Wrinkled Fieldcap (Agrocybe rivulosa) above and three below.  Growing happily in the wood chips.

Wrinkled cap.

Prominent ring on the stem.

A  young one.

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) which has been destroyed and kicked off the trunk. Nobody should bother going up the middle part of the wood to look for fungi or plants because now it used as a bike track and nothing is left standing. In future, I'm going to keep to the bottom part of the wood where they don't appear to go or on the top path with the birch and oak.