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Species list below

14 of us met on the Rievaulx to Scawton road where the Cleveland Way leaves the road and heads west beside a small stream. We clambered along a slope of a bank of Oak, Birch, Rowan, Holly and Apple. The path then passes two small lakes before opening out to a patch of grassland where the stream goes north west while we followed the path along a dry valley west for a while at first between conifers and then past a large patch of beeches. We found different fungi in all three habitats and with Melanie’s expert help we finally identified 69 species.

Unfortunately we have not yet identified the bracket fungus pictured above and it is providing an intriguing puzzle. We puzzled for some time on the identity of the tree itself, thinking it was some kind of thornless Prunus, perhaps a Damson or possibly an Apple. Gill and Keith later found another tree they thought was the same which did have apples under it so we are now thinking this one was also an apple.We still have to identify the fungus. You would think such a dramatic tiered Bracket would be easy to pin point but that’s the trouble and fascination of fungi. They look so different at different stages in their life cycle or following different weather patterns.

Several fallen birch logs were covered with beautiful tufts of bright orange/brown fungi called Sheathed Woodtuft (Kuehneromyces mutabilis) and these too look different depending on their age and stage of decomposition.

Gill found some beautiful Hedgehog mushrooms (Hydnum repandum) and we had one in an omelette that evening. It was delicious! The patch of grassland further on was full of Stubble Rosegills (Volvopluteus gloiocephala). These are striking tall beige-grey fungi with a sac-like volva at their base which makes you think of the genus Amanita but there is no ring on the stipe and they have pink gills. These yield pink spores, not white like Amanita species.

Under the pines and cypress trees there was no vegetation at all but plenty of fungi. There were Russula, Lactarius, Clitocybe, Mycena and Collybia species as well as masses of Shaggy Parasol mushrooms (Chlorophyllum rachodes), and even some Wood blewits (Lepista nuda). As we climbed the bank into the Beech woodland I was delighted to find several specimens of a large coffee-coloured cup fungus, an Ascomycetye called Palamino Cup (Peziza repanda). A new Ryenats member, David Lewis, took the lovely picture of this.

Species list

RS = Rhona Sutherland
ME = Melanie Earle