Monday, 30 September 2019

Eerie glow in the woods? Watch out for coral spot fungus!

Pretty pink or orange spots are the fungus Nectria cinnabarina, which has to be one of the most scrumptious names of all the fungi.  Don't eat this one though, it's poisonous.
Oh, and it's bioluminescent!

Thursday, 26 September 2019

Ashen chanterelle with false gills

Canthalrellus cinereus


A couple of years ago in the Outwoods I found Cratellus cornucopoides, and thought it was the most magnificent fungi I'd ever seen. Large trumpets that folded in on each other, black and foreboding, like a witch's cauldron.  I've been back a few times since to the very spot, but there has been nothing to see.  
This year, just a about 100m away but in Jubilee Woods, I thought I had come across it again! It was not quite as big, and not quite as funnel-like, but I could have thought it was the Black Trumpet or tromoette de morte as the cornucopoides is known.  When I took it home to dissect I realised it was different; it had very marked (and false) Gill plates, that literally just fell on in my hand. 
Chanterelles don't have this, and on further investigation I found that I had the Ashen chanterelle, which has recently moved genus. 

Tuesday, 24 September 2019

Stinkhorn volva dissection

The young immature form of the Stinkhorn, Phallus impudicus was in great abundance in the local woods. The volva is round and found just emerging from the soil.  This is one I dissected.
The first cut went through a fairly tough protective layer in white. It was quite thin, and easily slid back over slimy gelatinous yellow ball inside.
i then sliced this material. 
The middle layer was a darker tissue and more frilly. I think this becomes the gills. It was more dense than it looked.



The white section grows into the phallus which is up to 20 cm tall. They don't seem to stay upright for long, maybe a day, probably knocked over by animals

Shaggy ink cap and deliquescence

It's a great year for fungi. My brother-in-law in Shropshire sent me this photo of a young Shaggy Ink Cap. It's neither Shaggy nor inky yet but he's keeping an eye on it.
It starts off quite egg like but eventually extends upwards to be a cylinder about 10 cm tall.  The gills deliquesce, or turn black and only.
Coprinus comatus
This is the same one three days later, starting to open up.  Some people know it as a Lawyer's Wig.