Wednesday 24 September 2014

A FEW FUNGI



Over the past few weeks I’ve spent several days out and about looking to see what fungi I could find. It’s probably a bit early yet but I did manage to find a few. However, for the most part, they had already been ‘found’ and nibbled by the slugs and squirrels, so not many pristine examples.
I also noticed, on more than one occasion, that where fungi have appeared close to footpaths they had been kicked over and destroyed. I fail to see what pleasure, when they’ve obviously come out to walk in and enjoy the countryside, people derive from doing this sort of thing and destroying what they’ve come out to see?

Something else that I noticed was how dry the ground is at the moment, especially in the woods, normally when I’m out photographing fungi I usually get wet and muddy knees and elbows…all they’re getting at the moment is dusty. Out of interest I dug down into the leaf litter and it was about 10 to 15cm down before it started to get really damp, and that’s before the imminent new fall of leaves.

The Fungi…..

Fungi 1  Am Dec
Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina)  The colour of this common fungi is more noticeable in young specimens as it quickly fades to a light tan colour. Grows to about 10cm tall, usually in small groups in deciduous woodland. It’s also quite common for the cap to be misshapen. Edible, but not a culinary delight.

Fungi 2  Club F
Club Foot (Ampulloclitocybe clavipes)  A flat topped fungus with a distinctive club shaped stem. Grows to around 7cm tall with a brown cap of about 8cm across in deciduous and mixed woodland. Edible, but can cause a very severe reaction if consumed with alcohol.

Fungi 3  False DC
False Deathcap (Amanita citrina)  This common fungus grows in deciduous and mixed woodland. 8cm tall with a 10cm diameter cap. It has a strong smell of raw potatoes and is mildly poisonous.

Fungi 4  Hon W Cap
Honey Waxcap (Hygrocybe reidii)  This small red to orange/red fungi is commonly found in pasture and grassland. Reaching a height of 5cm the 5cm diameter cap flattens out with age and sometimes cracks appear around the edges. As it’s name would suggest it smells strongly of honey and is edible, but of poor quality.

Fungi 5  Sul Tuft
Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)  This very common yellow/orange fungus is most notable for forming dense and spectacular clumps on dead and decaying wood of both deciduous and coniferous trees.

Fungi 6  Beech Sick
Beechwood Sickener (Russula nobilis)  This poisonous brittlegill is the deciduous woodland relative of the Sickener (Russula emetica) that is found in pinewoods. Mostly bright red in colour ( all white specimens have been noted) with a white stem. Grows to around 5cm tall with a cap diameter of 7cm. It has a faint smell of coconut.

Fungi 7  Gry Spot Am
Grey Spotted Amanita (Amanita excelsa)  Grows in deciduous and mixed woodland. The grey/brown cap with patches of grey spots grows to around 10cm in diameter and flattens out with age. The stem is white to grey in colour and 12cm tall.

Fungi 8  Blk W Cap
Blackening Waxcap (Hygrocybe conica)  One of the most common waxcaps, seen in various colours from yellow through orange to red however, the irregular shaped cap discolours to black and becomes dry and cracked with age. Can be found in grassland and reaches a height to around 10cm.

Fungi 9  Bit Bol
Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus)  This large greyish brown fungus is found in deciduous woodland and occasionally with conifers. It has a stout club shaped stem growing to around 10cm long, yellowish in colour and covered with a coarse brown net. The cap. up to 12cm in diameter, matures to a flat shape with a dark brown coarse/cracked texture. As the name suggests it has a very bitter taste.

Fungi 10  Unkown
Unknown (help needed)  This one I found in mixed woodland but so far it has eluded any of my attempts at an ID. so, if anyone has any ideas?……


Notes/ Disclaimer…Although I have given indications of taste and edibility of some of the above fungi I would strongly advise that, unless you’re 100% sure of what you’re doing, you DON’T attempt to taste/eat any fungi/mushrooms that you may find.  Just admire their beauty, they look much better growing in the wild than they do sizzling in a frying pan!

13 comments:

ADRIAN said...

What a superb set.
The last is a Psilocybe but which one I can't say. It is a wee belter though. I don't know what the Latin is for cracker.

The Herald said...

Thanks Adrian, I'll have another go at that ID. Hmmm,the Latin for cracker.....Crackerii maybe?...[;o)

Roy Norris said...

Superb images Trevor.
Yes the ground is still pretty dry for the time of year.

Hmm! problem is these morons often come out and forget to insert their single brain cell.

holdingmoments said...

Excellent set Trev.
Can't help with the ID.
-
I've wondered what you've been up to lately; now I know, rolling around in the leaves.

The Herald said...

Thanks Roy. I guess we'll get some rain before too long and I suppose we'll just have to put up with the morons?...[;o)

Cheers Keith. Yeh, crawling about in the dirt seems to be my level!...[;o)

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful photos, they are splendid. The last one...................you don't know????????????????

FAB said...

Excellent series from the 'dirt crawler'.

Having searched my ID guide I tend to agree with Adrian. When fresh, Psilocybe semilanceata is olive grey with a central nipple and then turns honey-cream but apparently not normally found in mixed woodland!



Ruby said...

Great post Trevor. These fungi have exotic names. I have only seen white ones in my garden. Beautiful tiny parasols :))

Douglas Mcfarlane said...

Great set of images. Never knew the colour variety in mushrooms. Even with last night's rain the ground feels very dry, the fields are really dusty.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Hi Trevor I see you are still getting'down & dirty' but it is all worth it when you turn up these wonderful photographs
I have just arrived back from a 6 week holiday in Malawi and South Africa and when I get my 'thousand photographs edited and processed, I will show them to bloggers. I hope you had a good summer. Hope you are still birding.

The Herald said...

Thanks Bob. Haha!...Yeh, that last one has got me stumped!...[;o)

Thank you Frank. Yeh, I know my place...lol!
Still working on that last one...I think nature should have a new all encompassing category called...Unknown! It would save a lot of head scratching....[;o)

Ruby, thank you. They do have some wonderful names, don't they?...[;o)

Cheers Douglas. Yeh, they come in some amazing colours. I'm sure it won't be too long before we're moaning about there being too much rain?...[;o)

Hi Margaret and thank you. You can't beat a bit of rolling around in the dirt! Yeh, still doing all things nature.
I don't envy your job of sorting all those photos...[;o)

theconstantwalker said...

These are all wonderful Trevor... many thanks for sharing.

The Herald said...

Thanks Felicia, glad you liked them...[;o)