With Carol on 14 November 2022

For our walk this week we did a recce over Hankley Common, for my November Amble. I have taken my Ambling group here several times before but not since the big fire. I thought I would try a new route taking in much of the burnt area where I was hoping there would be some new fungi popping up. We were not disappointed and found quite a few species that inhabit burnt ground. Some of these have proved impossible to fully identify, especially Peziza and Anthracobia species which are very complex and difficult to identify in the field. Photos of those are at the end.

Other fungi found

We also came across this lovely little moth and I have included a photo of a lovely Wrinkled Peach we saw at Watts Tearooms in Compton, where we had lunch after the walk.

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With Naima on 3 December

I wanted to have another recce of my amble and also another look at some of those pesky little cup fungi so Naima and I went to have a look. We found some of the same fungi but also some new ones. They were about to start filming a new period drama but the set was guarded to stop people taking photos. We went back with Ingrid, early the next morning, so she could see the lovely cup fungi (and the set). Here are some of the other fungi we found.

Selection of other fungi

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Fungi on the burnt ground

I was still rather confused over both the tiny orange discs and the larger brown cup fungi on the burnt ground and persuaded Sara to come with me to have a look. Alas, we didn’t manage to narrow them down much further but I have labelled them with the most common and hence most likely candidate. To make matters more complicated still, there was quite possibly more than one species.

Phylum: Ascomycota – Class: Pezizomycetes – Order: Pezizales

Family: Pezizaceae – Genus: Peziza

There are at least 100 Peziza species and definite identification is rarely possible without microscopic examination. One of the more distinctive ones which grow on burnt sites is the Peziza violacea with its purplish colouring and the way it develops into a scalloped cup as it matures. The inner surface can also be wrinkled, especially towards the centre. The flesh is whiteish and the lower surface is pale lilac, turning to white or pale tan when older. I think this matches the last three below.

Family: Pyronemataceae – Genus: Anthracobia

Both Anthracobia macrocystis, Charcoal Goldeneye and Anthracobia melaloma, Charcoal Eyelash like burnt ground and could be possible options for these.