Monday 11 November 2013

MINI FUNGI WITH SOME JELLY AND A LITTLE SLIME


Whilst sorting through and processing some fungi images that I took towards the end of last month it became apparent that a few of them were of some rather small and delicate specimens, not only of regular shaped fungi but also of some jelly discs and a couple of slime moulds….


coprinopsis radiata.
Mini Fungi 1

As far as I can tell this fungi doesn’t appear to have an English name. It’s a short lived, just over 24 hours, Inkcap that grows on the dung of herbivores (horses mainly), this one was growing in the leaf litter by the side of a bridleway. It grows to about 7cm – 3” tall and the cap to about 2.5cm – 1” dia.

Common Rustgill  (gymnopilus penetrans)
Mini Fungi 2

As the name suggests this is the most common of the Rustgills. This is a very young specimen at about 4cm – 1 1/2” tall. They are mostly associated with conifer trees and can grow up to 7cm – 2 3/4” tall with a cap dia. of 8cm – 3” either solitary or in dense clusters.

Shaggy Scalycap  (pholiota squarrosa)
Mini Fungi 3

Mostly found in spectacular clusters at the base of broadleaved trees these fungi can grow up to 15cm – 6” tall with a cap dia. of 11cm – 41/2”. This small group was about 8cm – 3” tall.

Snapping Bonnet  (mycena vitilis)
Mini Fungi 4

This member of the bonnet family has a stem that when broken ‘snaps’ audibly, hence the name. It grows to about  11cm – 41/2” tall with a cap dia. of 2cm – 3/4”. It is widespread and common in deciduous woodland.

Clustered Bonnet  (mycena inclinata)
Mini Fungi 5

This bonnet is usually found in large in large clusters on the dead wood of deciduous trees and grows to around 10cm – 4” tall with a cap dia. of up to 4cm –11/2”. These particular ones are being attacked by the bonnet mould  spinellus fusiger, a type of pin mould, characterised by it’s pin like appearance.

Common Bonnet  (mycena galericulata)
Mini Fungi 6

Again, as the name suggests, a commonly seen fungi growing either solitary or in clusters on decayed wood of deciduous trees. Grows to 10cm – 4” tall with a cap of 6cm – 2 1/2” dia.

Not sure on this one…
Mini Fungi 7

…possibly the Funnel fungi clitocybe costata which grows in mixed woodland. This one was around 5cm – 2” tall with a similar sized cap.

With this next one I’ve failed on two counts…
Mini Fungi 8

…Firstly, I’ve no idea what it is and secondly, I failed to take note of what type of tree it’s growing on. It was growing on a branch that was about 1mtr – 3ft above the ground and is about 5cm – 2” tall.

Black Bulgar  (bulgaria inquinans)

Mini Fungi 9

Mini Fungi 10

A flat, rubbery textured, round button shaped fungi hence it’s more common name – Bachelor’s Buttons. Starting out as a small round cup that gradually flattens and splits as it matures. It is gregarious and grows to around 4cm – 11/2” in dia. on dead deciduous wood, typically on fallen Oak and Beech. Those above are around 1cm – 1/2” and 2.5cm – 1” in dia. respectively.

Now for some Jelly….

Beech Jellydisc  (neobulgaria pura)
Mini Fungi 11

A Common pink jelly fungus that is usually found in swarms, as the name suggests, on Beech trees. It starts off globular then becomes cushion shaped with a flat or concave upper surface and has a slightly raised edge. It’s usually distorted as a result of many fruiting bodies growing closely together. The ones seen here were about 2cm – 3/4” in dia.

Purple Jellydisc  (ascocoryne sarcoides)
Mini Fungi 12 

Similar to the Beech Jellydisc above and found in the same locations. It has a dark purple colour and grows to around 1cm – 1/2” dia. but is usually distorted into a brain like appearance. The ones depicted above are very young and are still in the globular stage. You can get some sense of scale by comparing them to the moss which is also in the image.

Time to add some Slime….

Slime moulds, once thought of as fungi, are now recognised as Protozoa. They start off life as single-celled amoeboid organisms that are free living and feeding on bacteria and fungi. When feeding conditions are good and they find suitable mating partners they coalesce into a – plasmodium - stage and it is this, often brightly coloured stage, that we see in the autumn coating vegetation and fallen wood. Also at this stage the mass is able to move, albeit very slowly. As the food supply begins to run out the spore producing stage – sporangium – appears.

This diagram, taken from the internet, shows the life cycle of a slime mould.
Mini Fungi 13

Wolf’s Milk  (lycogala terrestre)
Mini Fungi 14 
In it’s plasmodium stage, the pink colour will fade to a grey colour as it ages. These puffball like spheres are around 2.5cm – 1” in dia.

This next slime mould which I think is hemitrichia clavata is in the sporangium stage.
Mini Fungi 15

The little orange spheres which are about 2.5cm – 1” tall will eventually harden off and split open releasing thousands of tiny spores.








15 comments:

Bob Bushell said...

Wow Trevor, your an angel of the mushrooms, I mean, fungi. Lovely set you have done for us.

The Herald said...

An angel a? I always wondered what that halo was for...lol!
Thank you Bob...[;o)

Heather Wilde said...

Wow, what a great set of images and information. Best til last for me, love those little orange rascals :)

The Herald said...

Thanks Heather. Yeh, I couldn't believe it when I found those...took lots of pictures!...lol...[;o)

Carole M. said...

such variety amongst the fungi you photographed Trevor; they have a certain charm about them and make fabulous photo-portraits

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

HI Trevor What a wonderful photographed and informative post. The lighting in the fungi shots is fantastic. Now although I no nothing about fungi, I have never even heard of Jelly and slime!! Amazing to see. thanks for sharingadn I liked the borders around the photos.

Amanda Peters said...

Great set of photos with lots of information....hopefully I can use this to ID some of my fungi I have found over the last few weeks. Thanks.

ADRIAN said...

Some beautiful fungi here Trevor. beautifully shot.
Is the slime fungi the same stuff I call Dogs Vomit, it creeps along the ground eating moulds and other fungi? Sometimes it's white and sometimes orange coloured.

The Herald said...

Thank you Carole...[;o)

Thanks Margaret. I'm glad you enjoyed seeing the post and images. It's a fascinating and interesting subject...[;o)

Amanda,thank you. I do hope some of the information will be of use to you...[;o)

Thanks Adrian. Yeh, Dog-Vomit (fuligo septica) is indeed a Slime Mould (not a fungus!) It starts out a yellow colour and fades through orange to a light tan before drying to a crust.The white one is fuligo septica var. candida...[;o)

Douglas Mcfarlane said...

Great post Trevor full of fascinating info'. I really liked the composition of the Common Bonnet.

The Herald said...

Douglas,thank you. Yeh, that one worked well!...[;o)

holdingmoments said...

Great set as always Mr Fungi.
Such a rich variety of life, that many of us fail to take notice of.

Love the 'slime'.
Got some living down my street.

The Herald said...

Cheers Keith. I really like taking pictures of fungi, I just wish I could remember what most of them are called...lol.
Have you tried photographing your street slime yet?...[;o)

grammie g said...

Hi Trevor.. Her goes with another try at this one for commenting!!

I loved these photo's, especially the way you do then, wonderful details!!
I wonder how many people have ever taking time to notice there existences !!
Great info too!!
Some of the first ones would make a nice framed grouping's on my wall lol : )

Grace

The Herald said...

Hi Grace...You're coming through loud and clear now!

Thanks for your kind comments I'm glad you liked the photo's

As for people noticing them?...I reckon it's only me who's daft enough to roll around in the leaf litter and the dirt to find them...lol!...[;o)