Sims Wood
Sun 30 Sep 2007
Field event ID HF0719
OS Grid areas: SU4001 SU4101
Weather: The previous week had at last seen some rain which had provoked a few agarics to appear but still no sign of a major flush of fruitbodies.
New Records:
New to Hampshire: Aleurodiscus botryosus
New to HFRG: Porotheleum fimbriatum
Report: During the previous evening a dozen members of the group had gathered at Sue Rogerson's house to hear a talk by Martyn Ainsworth entitled 'Have you twigged it?' Martyn took us through the species that we might find by looking above our heads on the twigs still attached to the trees. This included the familiar genus of Peniophora, Aleurodiscus, Pulcherricium, Vuilleminia and Hymenochaete. Martyn then through down the gauntlet and said 'When will Gloeoporus dichrous be found in Hampshire?' Not yet it seems. Many of the fungi mentioned were host specific and we need to look at a wide range of hosts to find some of the rarer species including heather, blackthorn, elms and honeysuckle. We thank Martyn for his lucid and enlightening account of fungi on twigs which should encourage us to look again at new hosts. The group is also grateful to Sue for hosting the event and Alan for his culinary skills with the BBQ.
The continuing dry spell once again provided us with a challenge to find fruitbodies however looking through the final list of nearly seventy species we found fourteen species that had been mentioned by Martyn in his talk the previous evening. Without doubt the star find of the day became apparent when Martyn produced a white resupinate on some honeysuckle and a wide grin on his face. He emailed us a couple of days later to confirm that this was indeed a species he had mentioned to us, Aleurodiscus botryosus, only previously known in Britain from one site in Devon. Another unusual find was of Porotheleum fimbriatum which was identified by Alan and Sara. A species only reported from three locations in Britain including Gordon Dickson's own garden in 1973! During the day we found Lactarius vellereus and decided, as advised in The Genus Lactarius book, to check the taste of the milk and flesh separately to distinguish it from L bertillonii. The milk from the former is mild when separated from the flesh but the flesh of both are equally acrid. After we checked the milk Alan voluteered to taste the flesh and his face soon told all!! The most photogenic fungus of the day was probably Bolbitius reticulatus with it's glistening sticky cap showing the underlying darker reticulation from whence it gets its name. Dispite the dry conditions the day certainly did produce some notable finds.
Species list: Aleurodiscus aurantius, Aleurodiscus botryosus, Amanita citrina var. alba, Amanita citrina var. citrina, Amylostereum laevigatum, Basidioradulum radula, Bisporella sulfurina, Bolbitius reticulatus, Calocera pallidospathulata, Chlorociboria aeruginascens, Colpoma quercinum, Daedaleopsis confragosa, Daldinia concentrica, Datronia mollis, Dendrothele acerina, Fistulina hepatica, Fuscoporia ferrea, Heterobasidion annosum, Hydnum repandum, Hymenochaete cinnamomea, Hymenochaete corrugata, Hymenochaete rubiginosa, Hyphoderma setigerum, Hyphodontia barba-jovis, Hyphodontia nespori, Hypholoma fasciculare, Hypoxylon fuscum, Hypoxylon howeanum, Laccaria amethystina, Lactarius tabidus, Lactarius vellereus, Leccinum aurantiacum, Lycoperdon pyriforme, Macrotyphula fistulosa var. fistulosa, Mollisia cinerea, Mycena galericulata, Mycena haematopus, Panellus stipticus, Peniophora limitata, Peniophora lycii, Peniophora quercina, Phlebia tremellosa, Phlebiella sulphurea, Piptoporus betulinus, Pluteus cervinus, Pluteus leoninus, Porotheleum fimbriatum, Radulomyces molaris, Russula fellea, Russula ochroleuca, Schizopora paradoxa, Scleroderma verrucosum, Steccherinum ochraceum, Stereum gausapatum, Stereum hirsutum, Stereum rameale, Stereum rugosum, Trametes versicolor, Trechispora farinacea, Typhula quisquiliaris, Vuilleminia comedens, Xylaria hypoxylon