February Forays
………...…….fascinating finds!

Part 2

Further research of scant, but encouraging information gleaned via Google led me to believe we were on to something special, but in view of the rarity and confusion surrounding the possible species it would need resources beyond our reach to verify it.

Returning to the location to take more photos, verify field notes and collect specimens I discovered several more colonies of trooping groups of up to six emergent and mature fruiting bodies, All growing amongst Polytrichum moss and Cladonia lichen on the sunny side of sandy mounds surrounding uprooted broad-leaf tree stumps. While I continued to monitor their progress, as these hardy little fungi endured severe overnight frosts during the next six days, dried specimens were despatched to both Michael Jordan at ABFG and Dr Peter Roberts at Kew. In the meantime further discussion in forum with the cognoscenti of the WAB contributors, together with contact, including exchange of photos, with members of the stateside Northwest Mushroomers Association, whose winter 2007 newsletter had featured a similar find as their ‘Mushroom of the Month’, encouraged me to believe that the outcome looked more and more promising. As a photographer and novice hobbyist mycologist normally restricted to comparisons of the oft times, and frustratingly inconclusive macro characteristics for the purposes of identification, I realised even the colour variations were exaggerated by the melanized type of incrusted pigment. Though as the specimens aged and dried the ‘verdigris’ attributes became prominent especially in the more pallid sulcate margins.