Back to foray reports page

 

MYFG foray list - Skipton Woods - 19 April 2008   Foray report - Archie McAdam This foray was special because it was attended by 20 grown-ups and 2 youngsters. The day was overcast and the wind was cold. However it was a very exciting foray with many finds of interest and two specials. They were Strobilurus tenacellus and Dumontina tuberosa: for photos see 'Two rooting finds' [290 KB, pdf format]. Both were unusual because they had long rooting parts. We were fortunate because members noticed the roots of S. tenacellus and were careful to dig up the fruit-body with its attached pine cone. This fungus grows in the spring nearly always on pine cones. It is remarkably tough to handle and is characterised by the dark top, contrasting white to pale grey gills and yellow stem. Some of the specimens found were conical but most were flat-topped one or two with a small umbo. Of the three British species of Strobilurus this is the only one with a translucently striate cap. It is reported as being bitter to taste but our specimens did not have this characteristic. We found one very pale specimen which reminded Archie of Collybia dryophila but when we all looked at it more closely its stem had a yellow tinge and a long root, making it ‘just another boring old Stroblurus’. Although it is said to grow on spruce cones sometimes, the British checklist comments that there is no voucher material to confirm this. We found spruce cones near our specimens but not attached to them. Our other ‘big’ fungus of special interest was Dumontinia tuberosa [32KB - Word format]. This thin walled brown cup fungus grew up to nearly 3 cm in diameter on mossy or bare soil near Wood Anemones. We found quite a few specimens and dug up one or two to try to establish a connection with the plant which it parasitizes. We could not find an attachment but we did find the long sclerotium described in the literature. Where Wood Anemones occur at this time of year please look for this interesting fungus on the bare ground among the plants, and report any finds to Alan. In many books, including Fungi of Switzerland, the older name of Sclerotinia is given. The new genus to which it is attributed is characterised by the nature of the outer covering of the fruit-body [exculipium]. In it the globose to elongate cells of the outer layers lies on top of a layer of hyphae parallel to the surface. Although it is said to have a gelatinised surface, this Archie found hard to recognise in our specimens. We did find quite a few other fungi, some very small which are being worked on by Alan and John, some of which are shown in the pictures in 'Some little beauties' [194 KB, pdf format] and 'Slime mould under the microscope: Trichia botrytis' [108 KB - pdf format]. One interesting find was a single fruit-body of Hypholoma fasciculare growing absolutely alone on the bole of a Scots Pine. This toadstool is usually easy to recognise because it lives up to its English name of Sulphur Tuft and comes a cluster of toadstool together.

Foray list - supplied by Archie McAdam, Alan Braddock and John Webb Bisporella citrina - Lemon disco Calocera pallidospathulata - Pale stagshorn Dacrymyces stillatus - Common jellyspot Diatrype disciformis - Beech barkspot Diatrype stigma - Common tarcrust Dumontinia tuberosum Exidia glandulosa - Witches Butter Ganoderma australe - Southern bracket Hirneola auricula-judae - Jelly ear Heterobasidion annosum - Root rot Hypholoma fasciculare Hypoxylon fragiforme - Beech woodwart Kuehneola uredinis Lachnum virgineum Leptosphaeria acuta Lophodermium graminum Lophodermium pinastri Piptoporus betulinus Postia stiptica - Bitter bracket Rhopographus filicinus Strobilurus tenacellus - Pinecone cap Trametes versicolor - Turkeytail Xylaria carpophila - Beechmast candlesnuff Xylaria hypoxylon See also: John Webb's supplementary list [Word, 38 KB]

 

Back to foray reports page  |  home  |  contact us  |  disclaimer  |  site map

This page last updated 12/07/2008.