Hamadryads fungus diary

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Well, after making so many stupid spelling mistakes and a couple of miss labels on my other thread as promised starting a new one. A couple of Arbtalkers wanted more info, common names and such, so thought I would start over and do this justice. I am learning as we go also, so forgive me if I have missed something out, and feel free to point things out, as despite some of the comments recieved I am a novice, I am working on changing that though!

 

Fungi have consumed me with a passion, it is a highly infectious subject, you have been warned! I think I may have stood still under a veteran Oak just long enough for the mycelium to creep up my leg, and now I am colonised by a fine rot, and I hope to spread the "infection" far and wide.

 

I've called this my fungal diary as I will be adding the fungi as and when I shoot them, rather than just enter a whole load from my vaults. I think in this way you will get to know whats out there and when to find them or look out for them, despite common belief, autumn is not the only time for fungi. There is always something to be found and todays find is Flammulina velutipes AKA the velvet shank or somewhat more appropriate "the winter mushroom"

 

Enjoy

 

Flammulina velutipes

(The velvet shank/winter mushroom)

A small to medium sized mushroom, orange to brown cap with pale orange/cream gills.

Spore print white/cream.

Saprophytic on Horse chestnut and Elm and occasionaly on other broadleaf genera, appearing in small groups to numerous clumps on stems.

Common, fruiting from October to March.

 

Its significance is not note worthy being a saprophytic fungus.

 

Tommorow me and Buff will be foraying in the mighty Ashridge park estate, i wonder what we will find?

Edited January 29, 2010 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[David Humphries]

Really good Id shots & info Tony, look forward to your new finds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Gareth Dalzell]

Excellent pictures -they'd be worth printing out/laminating and keeping to hand when doing idents on site. Keep the shots coming to build up the reference

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Excellent pictures -they'd be worth printing out/laminating and keeping to hand when doing idents on site. Keep the shots coming to build up the reference

 

I would have no objections to that whatsoever, what a compliment!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Well we just got back from Ashridge pk, got me coffee and heatings on! We had a great day and as well as a good find, and a new one for me we spotted perched low in a tree a Buzzard, several chinese water deer, though not perched in a tree! some fallows and the brightest yaffle I have ever seen!

 

Todays fungus, and believe me I worked hard to find one you would be remotley interested in, 4 hrs! but I digress, todays find is Polyporus brumalis.

 

Polyporus brumalis

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A small polypore up to 8cm across, brown witha wavy margin, white underside and white to cream spore print.

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A saprophyte favouring broadleaf logs in contact with soil.

 

An infrequent fungus occuring from autumn to spring sporalating in winter.

 

We also found a few others and my first find/recorded incedent of Ustulina duesta on Acer psuedoplatanus, I was aware it infected Acer platanoides, but have never personaly seen it on Sycamore before.

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The last image is the dash of my car at the moment! Its simply the best place to dry and preserve specimens! just thought I would add it so you can all picture this madman driving about with fungi specimens all over his dash on a daily basis:w00t:

[ATTACH]28622[/ATTACH]

Edited January 30, 2010 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[Graham]

We also found a few others and my first find/recorded incedent of Ustulina duesta on Acer psuedoplatanus, I was aware it infected Acer platanoides, but have never personaly seen it on Sycamore before.

 

Couple of pics from last year.

[burrell_]

i found this on friday dont no much about fungus at the moment so dont no whats its called just thought it looked nice

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Thats a nice clump of Flammulina velutipes.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

We also found a few others and my first find/recorded incedent of Ustulina duesta on Acer psuedoplatanus, I was aware it infected Acer platanoides, but have never personaly seen it on Sycamore before.

 

Couple of pics from last year.

[ATTACH]28688[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]28689[/ATTACH]

 

Yes nice shot of the psuedosclerotial plates dividing up the territory of each mycelium.

[stevelucocq]