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.
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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…
…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…
…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)
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)
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)
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.
Wolf’s Milk (lycogala terrestre)
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.
The little orange spheres which are about 2.5cm – 1” tall will eventually harden off and split open releasing thousands of tiny spores.
