Fungal Forays

A very rewarding autumn for fungal forays, so far.

Here are a few recent finds in Teesdale, Weardale and around Durham city

I think this is probably southern bracket Ganoderma australe, growing on an old beech tree in Stanhope dene. The black colouration is probably due to several days of heavy rain, soaking the surface. There were about a dozen of these on the trunk. They weaken the tree and the trunk usually snaps in high winds, about 10-15 feet above ground. The brackets are perennial and produce an annual crop of spores over a decade or more.

A beech stump, infested with old southern brackets

Trooping funnel Clitocybe geotropa, part of a fairy ring in Weardale that appears in this spot, under old hazel coppice, every autumn

Crimped gill Plicatura crispa, a Scottish species that's moving into northern counties of England. On dead horse chestnut branches, at Egglestone in Teesdale

Common puffballs Lycoperdon perlatum, in vast numbers, under Norway spruce in Hamsterley forest

Common puffballs Lycoperdon perlatum in Durham University Botanic Garden

Hairy curtain crust Stereum hirsutum in Stanhope dene, Weardale

Possibly a wood blewit Lepista nuda  (?) that has had some of the colour washed out of it by rain? Low Barns Nature reserve, Durham

Turkey tail Trametes versicolor in Durham University Botanic Garden

Honey fungus Armillaria mellea on an ash tree at Wolsingham in Weardale

Wood blewit Lepista nuda in Hamsterley forest, Durham

Sulphur tuft Hypholoma fasciculare Weardale

Clouded agaric Clitocybe nebularis in Durham University Botanic Garden, where it forms spectacular fairy rings

Unidentified, Durham University Botanic Garden

Angel bonnets Mycena archangelica on a fallen beech branch, Durham University Botanic Garden

Candle snuff Xylaria hypoxylon, Egglesone, Teesdale

Bitter bracket Postia styptica (?), Durham University Botanic Garden

Collared earthstar Geastrum triplex, under an old ash tree in Hollingside lane, Durham city

Collared earthstars discharging spores after being hit by raindrops

Upright coral Ramaria stricta (or maybe the less common R. abietina?) under Korean fir Abies koreana, in Durham University Botanic Garden

Shaggy scalycap Pholiota squarrosa on a Californian redwood in the arboretum of Durham University Botanic Garden

Plicatura crispa

I was struggling to identify this fungus, found this afternoon in woodland at Houghall near Durham city, so I posted it on the wonderful iSpot web site and within a couple of hours I received two very helpful suggestions as to what it might be. Sincere thanks to Malcolm Greaves in York for this ID.

It appears to be Plicatura crispa, a fungus with a northern distribution, mostly reported in Scotland. Details can be found at this web site. There's a distribution map here. 

 The dense clusters of fungi were arranged in tiers and mostly concentrated around burrs on the trunk of the tree, but clearly spreading outwards from there. 

Each individual fructification is quite small - no larger than a thumbnail - but there are often over 100 in a cluster.

The upper surface is brownish-buff, paler towards the edge, and the undersurface is white.

From below ....

 ... the gills have a wrinkly appearance.

I need to go back and collect a specimen now, for a closer look.