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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.
Minley Marathon
Posted 23-05-2008 at 05:14 PM by cybershot
Well it sure felt like it when setting out on foot for an 8 mile trek on Wednesday, 21 May 2008. It entailed me leaving home at 9.30am with Chaka in tow and picking up JP at ten o'clock at the A327 roundabout car park. We all then headed off to meander around Minley Wood; stopping 'en route' to show John sites bearing previously found Megacollybia platyphylla
and Agrocybe praecox
Via a short detour across the road into Hawley Wood in order to successfully locate an old beech log which Garry had earlier informed us regularly bore Polypourus squamosus,
we arrived in time for lunch at the Crown and Cushion and heartily disposed of two excellent Ploughman's. Three pints of Bishop's Finger and a pot of tea enabled us to raise a toast to an absent friend recently returned to Norfolk........Cheers Nick! Suitably invigorated we went back into Hawley Wood where John unearthed an old oak fence post covered in Mollisia cinerea
Returning back to John's car by way of Hawley Lake revealed my first sight of Scutellinia scutellata as the result of some shrewd exploration of bogland by JP.
Finally the investigation of a heathland burn site on Yateley Common supplied us with more fuel for an ongoing discussion on a WAB forum about Daldinia species when we discovered Daldinia vernicosa on burnt gorse and Daldinia concentrica on scorched birch and alder.
Sadly I missed an opportunity to snap a pretty little Green Hairstreak pointed out by JP on the heather.
After bidding John farewell, and six hours since my morning departure, I returned home through Yateley Common CP, admittedly, with a very modest collection to record, but having had a thoroughly enjoyable day out. As on nearly every foray so far this year, I had something newly sighted to report.
I must thank John, not only for his good company, but also for the microscopy starter pack he gave me by way of encouragement to begin another fascinating journey; this time into the hidden world of fungi.
Cheers buddy!
David
and Agrocybe praecox
Via a short detour across the road into Hawley Wood in order to successfully locate an old beech log which Garry had earlier informed us regularly bore Polypourus squamosus,
we arrived in time for lunch at the Crown and Cushion and heartily disposed of two excellent Ploughman's. Three pints of Bishop's Finger and a pot of tea enabled us to raise a toast to an absent friend recently returned to Norfolk........Cheers Nick! Suitably invigorated we went back into Hawley Wood where John unearthed an old oak fence post covered in Mollisia cinerea
Returning back to John's car by way of Hawley Lake revealed my first sight of Scutellinia scutellata as the result of some shrewd exploration of bogland by JP.
Finally the investigation of a heathland burn site on Yateley Common supplied us with more fuel for an ongoing discussion on a WAB forum about Daldinia species when we discovered Daldinia vernicosa on burnt gorse and Daldinia concentrica on scorched birch and alder.
Sadly I missed an opportunity to snap a pretty little Green Hairstreak pointed out by JP on the heather.
After bidding John farewell, and six hours since my morning departure, I returned home through Yateley Common CP, admittedly, with a very modest collection to record, but having had a thoroughly enjoyable day out. As on nearly every foray so far this year, I had something newly sighted to report.
I must thank John, not only for his good company, but also for the microscopy starter pack he gave me by way of encouragement to begin another fascinating journey; this time into the hidden world of fungi.
Cheers buddy!
David
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Recent Blog Entries by cybershot
- Minley Marathon (23-05-2008)
- What a nonsense! (22-02-2008)
- Part 3 (22-02-2008)
- Part 1 (retrospectively) (22-02-2008)
- What happened to Part 1? (22-02-2008)
