U3A Fascinating Fungi @ Witley

Witley Common, 14 October 2022

Our location for this month was Witley Common. Quite a number of people had turned up and with so many eyes spotting we didn’t get very far, fast. At the end, a few of us wanted to continue all around a bit further and was rewarded with some lovely russula, some cauliflower fungus, and a lovely large clump of golden scalycap. All in all, Sara identified 67 species as listed below.

There are a lot of Milkcaps about at the moment and we found several, among them the Ugly Milkcap and the Oakbug Milkcap. Both of these are mycorrhizal species which means they have a symbiotic relationship with certain species of tree (the Ugly Milkcap is found with Birch and the Oakbug Milkcap, with Oak). Probably the smallest specimen was the Conifercone Cap whose whole world is a single pine cone and the largest was the spectacular Golden Scalycap on the end of a cut log in the children’s playground. I hope they survive and won’t get smashed up but it’s a perilous life in a playground!

Sara Shepley

  1. Paxillus involutus — Brown Rollrim
  2. *Gymnopilus penetrans — Common Rustgill
  3. *Mycena galopus — Milking Bonnet
  4. Russula amoenolens — Camembert Brittlegill (it is said to smell of Camembert cheese)
  5. Baeospora myosura — Conifercone Cap
  6. *Mycena seynii — Pinecone Bonnet
  7. *Mycena inclinata  — Clustered Bonnet
  8. Amanita fulva — Tawny Grisette
  9. Lactarius hepaticus — Liver Milkcap
  10. *Lactarius rufus — Rufus Milkcap
  11. *Lactarius quietus — Oak Bug Milkcap
  12. *Lactarius tabidus — Birch Milkcap (milk turns yellow on tissue)
  13. Lactarius turpis — Ugly Milkcap
  14. Hebeloma sp. — One of the Poison Pies
  15. *Russula fragilis — Fragile Brittlegill (jagged edge on gills)
  16. Boletus pruinatus  — Matt Bolete
  17. Xerocomus chrysenteron — Pink cracking Bolete
  18. Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca — False Chanterelle
  19. Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca var pallida — Pale False Chanterelle
  20. *Stereum gausapatum — Bleeding Oak Crust
  21. *Psathyrella piluliformis — Common Stump Brittlestem
  22. *Mycena epipterygia — Yellowleg Bonnet
  23. Laccaria amethystina — Amethyst Deceiver
  24. Hypomyces hyalinus — The mould that grows on Amanita species
  25. Collybia butyracea — Buttercap
  26. *Phlebia tremellosa — Jelly Rot (used to be known as the Tripe Fungus)
  27. Calocera viscosa — Yellow Stagshorn
  28. Marasmius epiphyllus — Leaf parachute
  29. *Neoboletus luridiformis — Scarletina Bolete
  30. *Lactarius chrysorrheus — Yellowdrop Milkcap
  31. *Tricholoma sulphureum — Sulphur Knight
  32. *Hemimycena sp. (on bark) — Could be one of several species including cucullata and mauretanica
  33. *Calocera pallidospathulata — Pale Stagshorn
  34. Amanita citrina — False Death Cap
  35. *Amanita muscaria — Fly Agaric
  36. Russula velenovskyi — Coral Brittlegill
  37. *Clitopilus prunulus — The Miller (mealy smell)
  38. *Russula aeruginea — Green Brittlegill
  39. *Russula velenovskyi — Coral Brittlegill
  40. *Russula caerulea — Humpback Brittlegill
  41. Inocybe geophylla — White Fibrecap
  42. Inocybe lilacina — Lilac Fibrecap
  43. *Russula sanguinaria — Bloody Brittlegill
  44. *Suillus luteus — Slippery Jack
  45. Leccinum scabrum — Brown Birch Bolete
  46. Hygrocybe conica — Blackening Waxcap
  47. Russula delica — Milk White Brittlegill
  48. *Lyophyllum decastes — Clustered Domecap
  49. Xerula radicata — Rooting Shank
  50. *Russula subfoetens — Stinking Brittlegill
  51. Chroogomphus rutilus — Copper Spike
  52. *Suillus bovinus — Bovine Bolete
  53. *Auriscalpium vulgare — Earpick Fungus
  54. *Lactarius torminosus — Woolly Milkcap
  55. Xylaria hypoxylon — Candlesnuff
  56. Hypholoma fasciculare — Sulphur Tuft
  57. *Sparassis crispa — Cauliflower Fungus
  58. Mycena galericulata — Common Bonnet
  59. *Pholiota aurivella — Golden Scalycap
  60. *Pholiota gummosa — Sticky Scalycap
  61. Tricholoma stiparophyllum — Chemical Knight                           
  62. *Gymnopus confluens — Clustered Toughshank  – (was Collybia ) flat stem
  63. Laccaria laccata — The Deceiver
  64. Gymnopus peronatus — Wood woollyfoot
  65. Tubaria furfuracea — Scurfy Twiglet
  66. Hemimycena lactea — Milky Bonnet
  67. Cortinarius herculeolens*

*When this was found at Witley some six or more years ago, it was the first record for this species in Britain. Originally its name was Cortinarius chromataphilus but this was changed a couple of years later. It is considered to be a split from Cortinarius largus. Sara

Here are some of the photos I took

Class Agaricomycetes -> Order: Russulales

Class Agaricomycetes -> Order:  Agaricales

Class Agaricomycetes -> Order: Boletales

Class Agaricomycetes -> Order Polyporales & Class Dacrymycetes

List of photos by taxa: Phylum: Basidiomycota

  1. Class: Agaricomycetes –
    1. Order: Agaricales –
      1. Family: Amanitaceae
        1. Amanita muscaria, Fly Agaric
      2. Family: Entolomataceae
        1. Clitopilus prunulus, The Miller
      3. Family: Lyophyllaceae
        1. Lyophyllum decastes, Clustered Domecap
      4. Family: Marasmiaceae
        1. Gymnopus confluens, Clustered Toughshank
      5. Family: Mycenaceae
        1. Mycena epipterygia, Yellowleg Bonnet
        2. Mycena inclinata, Clustered Bonnet
        3. Mycena seynii, Pinecone Bonnet
      6. Family: Psathyrellaceae
        1. Psathyrella piluliformis, Common Stump Brittlestem
      7. Family: Strophariaceae
        1. Gymnopilus penetrans, Common Rustgill
        2. Pholiota aurivella, Golden Scalycap
        3. Pholiota gummosa, Sticky Scalycap
      8. Family: Tricholomataceae –
        1. Tricholoma sulphureum, Sulphur Knight
    2. Order: Boletales –
      1. Family: Boletaceae
        1. Neoboletus luridiformis, Scarletina Bolete
      2. Family: Gomphidiaceae
        1. Chroogomphus rutilus, Copper Spike
      3. Family: Suillaceae
        1. Suillus bovinus, Bovine Bolete
        2. Suillus luteus, Slippery Jack
    3. Order: Polyporales –
      1. Family: Meruliaceae
        1. Phlebia tremellosa, Jelly Rot
      2. Family: Sparassidaceae
        1. Sparassis crispa, Wood Cauliflower
    4. Order: Russulales – Family: Auriscalpiaceae Auriscalpium vulgare, Earpick Fungus
      1. Family: Stereaceae
        1. Stereum gausapatum, Bleeding Oak Crust
      2. Family: Russulaceae
        1. Lactarius chrysorrheus, Yellowdrop Milkcap
        2. Lactarius quietus, Oak Bug Milkcap
        3. Lactarius rufus, Rufus Milkcap
        4. Lactarius tabidus, Birch Milkcap
        5. Lactarius torminosus, Woolly Milkcap
        6. Russula aeruginea, Green Brittlegill
        7. Russula caerulea, Humpback Brittlegill
        8. Russula fragilis, Fragile Brittlegill
        9. Russula sanguinaria, Bloody Brittlegill
        10. Russula subfoetens, Stinking Brittlegill
        11. Russula velenovskyi, Coral Brittlegill
  2. Class: Dacrymycetes –
    1. Order: Dacrymycetales –
      1. Family: Dacrymycetaceae
        1. Calocera pallidospathulata, Pale Stagshorn

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