Herbivore dung - Have a dung day!

[CapAndBracket]

Closer view of the sample shows 3 species, the little yellow spikes are emerging pilobolus.sp. The orange/yellow disks are Coprobia granulata.

The asci and hyaline spores of coprobia



The paraphyses are really beautiful in this species, filled with orange granules.

Cheers J.P.

[fairplay]

I've come across the one in the second photo many times and even put a name to it, but my memory is poor.

I think it was a Psathy rather than a Panny', but it's one or the other !!

Neil.

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

One of those amazing moments, i came home via a farmers field for a change
to see how the cow dung compared with my normal common land haunt,
very little except this one cow pat sporting yellow disks, when i look
at photo there are at least two species to be seen hope both are on
the sample i brought home.



If anyone could give me a steer with these it would help
while i get on the microscope.
Cheers J.P.

Hi JP,

The bottom one (the agaric) is a species of Panaeolus OR it's Panaeolina foenisecii (but rather dried out hence the cracked cap !)

The asco's - orange one possibly Coprobia granulata and the other thing appears to resemble very you Ascobolus (with the scurfy-granular edge to the apothecia)

Nick

[CapAndBracket]

Your a hero sir, and i am grateful for comments.
See above, the Cobrobia granulata scoped nicely.

Then i lost hours trying to get some detail from the cups
(Ascobolus) which i will check over next couple of days for
hopefully mature specimen, gess we have to go through
these frustrations at times. they were the consistency of
mastic and wouldn't section, squash or stain in any way
useful

Should have spent time on the panaeolus, will do so in the
morning.

The yellow spikes in later photo were developing the round
tops of Pilobolus.sp during the evening, still facinating.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

The agaric spores matched Panaeolina foenisecii.


Spotted these glistening in the sun


Somebody with a macro lense could have made a great image of these.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

I gess life will never cease to be full of suprises (not such a bad thing).



I had seen these before on dung but today was first time i captured a
reasonable image, thinking they were some kind of fungi (hyphomycete maybe) i trawled the books to no avail, so picked one out with a pin and
placed under microscope in a drop of water. suprise suprise.



From underneath they look like an insect egg, this top view shows two strakes angled
outwards, open to ideas on what they are.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Ignore the yellow fungi, the pale scurfy cups (which seem in no hurry to
mature) may turn out to be Ascobolus furfurasceus, (base on asci and spore size) though there are a couple of other possibilities.


X1000

X1000

Note the hyaline (clear spores), you can just about pick out what i will call the root
of the asci, if i'm right with ID the change in fruit body and spores is quite remarkable,
if i'm wrong well it won't be the first time.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

What a difference a couple of days make, these are the Ascobolus furfuraceus now, the dark centres are due to proturding asci loaded with spores, just blow across them (simulated breeze) and they all fire into the air,
leaving the cup/disc looking pale green.


X1000

And ascus loaded with ripe spores, the reason centre of fruit body looks purple.


Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

How many Coprobia granulata on one cow pat.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

I imagine this is an emerging coprinus.sp, worthy of note is that in keeping
with the great out doors these pony buns have been drying out for some
time, quite a while since we had rain and i will put them out for a shower
when it does rain.
Despite being so dry a few coprinus still keep emerging, i notice that in the
wild where i collected this meadium that pony buns are equally dry, yet tiny
coprinus can be found on them.

Cheers J.P.

[NickCantle]

Stunning image J.P, you're doing yourself proud mate What a beautiful specimen too! Keep this thread up, you'll be famous soon

[CapAndBracket]

Thank's for that, i got the lighting correct (not so on the one above),
anyway you may be able to see that at least one more species seems
to be appearing, why so many now, maybe they sense the change in
atmospheric pressure as the rain approaches.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

It's certainly growing, one of those times a time lapse film would be good.

Cheers J.P.

[NickCantle]

Your photographs are damn fine my good man. In fact, that first coprinus one is going in my favourites

[CapAndBracket]

I'm going to try photographing it in a couple of hours, illuminated by
a table lamp, (lense appox inch from subject flash is not going to work)
oh the joys of being an amateur.

Cheers J.P.

[fairplay]

Nick,

Our J.P. is famous, did you not see John's article in 'The Forayer' the magazine of the Association of British Fungus Groups ?

Surprisingly it wasn't about myxo's but 2 bracket fungi. I expect Michael Jordon did the text, but I certainly recognise the photo's.

A whole 2 pages too !!

Neil.

[CapAndBracket]

Still growing, anyone to gess the species.

The article, i provided photo's no more than that.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Imagine getting up at 4 to catch it in it's glory, maybe there just wasn't
enough moisture left in the pony bun, ho hum.

Cheers J.P.

[fairplay]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry for you J.P.

You obviously overslept (looking at the time of your post !!) to miss it at it's prime. It must have wilted just as your eye lids closed.

Neil.

[CapAndBracket]

I would certainly go for laughter, it's the irony of life

Cheers J.P.

[NickCantle]

Amen to that.

[CapAndBracket]

X1000

Despite looking hung over the little beauty had produced spores, under the
scope it thought "seen these before", the nearly round face on, yet eliptic
side on spores are the mark of Coprinus miser.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Having been put out for a shower of rain a few days ago, the fungi now have
enough moisture for growth.








Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

The rain has rejuvenated fungi.



Panaeolus papilionaceus.



Peziza bovina


Cheers J.P.