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Fungal Foray, Gilling Woods 11th October 2008
led by Colin Stephenson
There were ten of us and we met at the end of the road by the Gilling lakes. These are a series of three artificial lakes surrounded by mixed woodland of oak, beech, sycamore, Scots pine, larch, birch and rhododendron belonging to Gilling Castle and managed by the Forestry Commission. We walked slowly round the bottom, northern-most lake. We walked slowly just because there were so many interesting fungi and it was marvellous to have Colin Stephenson to identify them and tell us all about them. We saw lots of a slightly felty pinkish Milkcap called Lactarius pubescens that lives under birch and makes a whitish milk when broken, and later on the much shaggier Lactarius torminosus that also lives under birch. There were areas with a great many dirty cooked-liver coloured Lactarius blennius under birch and a chestnut-coloured suede-like milkcap called Lactarius tabidus whose white milk goes yellow when dabbed on a white handkerchief. Colin pointed out the Leccinum scabrum (left), a pored fungus with a brown cap and a white stipe covered in powdery brownish scales – and showed us how this did not discolour when broken whereas Leccinum variicolor which looks rather similar turned bluish-green when cut. There was a beautiful Blushing Bracket – Daedaleopsis confragosa – which is a glossy flattish brown bracket fungus with slightly pinkish maze-like pores underneath, which was growing on a small willow on the lake edge, as well as the very common and dramatic Turkey Tail – Trametes versicolor – which grows on decaying wood (see pictures below).
Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis conflagrosa |
Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor |
One of the highlights were the Green Woodcups Chlorosplenium aeruginascens (now known as Chlorociboria aeruginascens) on an old rotting fence post. This is a tiny blue-green cup which also stains the wood a turquoise colour. The infected wood, known as ‘green oak’, was formerly used in the manufacture of Tunbridge ware, a traditional method of decoration where woods of different colours were arranged into blocks to give the desired pattern, compressed, then cut transversely into thin strips of veneer.
 |
Green Woodcups Chlorospenium aeruginascens
detail © Gill Smith 2009 |
Once round the damper west side of the lake we saw a good many specimens of Helvella crispa in the grass as well as some rather slug-eaten Chanterelles – Cantharellus cibarius on a mossy damp bank, a tiny Beefsteak fungus Fistulina hepatica on an old tree stump, and lots of Stinkhorns – Phallus impudicus in all stages of development in the needles under the Scots pine trees.
Chanterelles Cantharellus cibarius |
Helvella crispa |
Species list
Thanks to Colin and Beryl Stephenson for this list.
| PROTOZOA |
|
| Fuligo septica |
on fallen Betula twig |
| |
|
| ZYGOMYCOTINA |
|
| Spinellus fusiga |
on Mycena galericulata |
| |
|
| ASCOMYCOTINA |
|
| |
|
| PYRENOMYCETES AND PLECTOMYCETES |
|
| Erysyphe alphitoides |
on Quercus leaves |
| Erysyphe heraclei |
on Heracleum sphondylium |
| Erysyphe sordida |
on Plantago major |
| Phyllactinia fraxini |
on Fraxinus leaves |
| Sawadea bicornis |
on Acer leaves |
| Xylaria hypoxylon |
on fallen deciduous litter |
| |
|
| DISCOMYCETES |
|
| Chlorosplenium aeruginascens |
on fallen deciduous wood |
| Helvella crispa |
ride side |
| Leotia lubrica |
with Fagus |
| Phacidiostroma multivalve |
on fallen Ilex leaves |
| Rhytisma acerinum |
on Acer leaves |
| Trochila ilicina |
on fallen Ilex leaves |
| |
|
| LOCULOMYCETES |
|
| Hormotheca robertiani |
on Geranium robertianum |
| Rhopographus filicinus |
on Pteridium |
| |
|
| BASIDIOMYCOTINA |
|
| |
|
| HYMENOMYCETES |
|
| Amanita citrina var alba |
with Fagus |
| Armillaria ostoyae |
with Rubus |
| Cantharellus cibarius |
in moss |
| Collybia butyracea |
with conifer |
| Collybia confluens |
with Fagus |
| Collybia maculata |
with conifer |
| Collybia peronata |
with Picea |
| Cortinarius flexipes |
with Fagus |
| Cortinarius flexipes var flabellus |
with Betula |
| Gymnopilus penetrans |
on conifer stump |
| Hebeloma sacchariolens |
with Betula |
| Hypholoma fasciculare |
on deciduous stump |
| Inocybe geophylla |
in deciduous litter |
| Laccaria amethystina |
with Fagus |
| Laccaria laccata |
with Fagus |
| Lactarius blennius |
with Fagus |
| Lactarius pubescens |
with Betula |
| Lactarius tabidus |
with Betula |
| Lactarius torminosus |
with Betula |
| Lactarius turpis |
with Betula |
| Leccinum scabrum |
with Betula |
| Leccinum variicolor |
with Betula |
| Lepiota cristata |
in deciduous litter |
| Lyophyllum decastes |
ride side grass |
| Mycena galericulata |
on Quercus stump |
| Mycena polygramma |
on deciduous stump |
| Paxillus involutus |
with Betula |
| Pleurotus pulmonarius |
on fallen deciduous wood |
| Psathyrella conopilis |
ride side grass |
| Russula betularum |
with Betula |
| Russula caerulea |
with Pinus |
| Russula cyanoxantha |
with Betula |
| Russula ochroleuca |
with mixed |
| Russula sardonia |
with Pinus |
| Suillus bovinus |
with Betula |
| Tricholoma fulvum |
with Betula |
| Tricholoma scalpturatum |
with Betula |
| Tricholoma terreum |
with Pinus |
| |
|
| APHYLLOPHORALE TYPE FUNGI |
|
| Fistulina hepatica |
on Quercus stump |
| Fomes fomentarius |
on Fagus |
| Hydnum repandum |
with Fagus |
| Hydnum rufescens |
with Fagus |
| Piptoporus betulinus |
on Betula |
| Trametes versicolor |
on deciduous log |
| |
|
| HETEROBASIDIOMYCETES |
|
| Calocera viscosa |
on conifer stump |
| |
|
| GASTEROMYCETES |
|
| Lycoperdon perlatum |
ride side |
| Phallus impudicus |
with Picea |
| |
|
| UREDINOMYCETES |
|
| Melampsora epitea |
on Salix caprea leaves |
| Melampsoridium betulinum |
on Betula leaves |
| Naohidemyces vacciniorum |
on Vaccinium myrtillus leaves |
| Phragmidium violacium |
on Rubus leaves |
| Puccinia coronata |
on Lolium perenne |
| |
|
| DEUTEROMYCOTINA |
|
| |
|
| HYPHOMYCETES |
|
| Ramularia rhabdospora |
on Plantago major |
Colin R Stephenson
Recorder for Mycology
Scarborough Field Naturalists’ Society
Text and photos © Rhona Sutherland 2009