Woodchip watch

[CapAndBracket]

Count the Peziza (probably vesiculosa), this evening growing on woodchip, plenty of others spread around the substrate.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Agrocybe rivulosa now appearing on woodchip.

Cheers J.P.

[NickCantle]

David will be pleased

[wildherbalian85]

Found loads of mushrooms growing on rotting bark. I know bark isnt exactly wood chips but some might say otherwise

The specie found was most likely Agrocybe praecox

[CapAndBracket]

Excellent find and i note woodchip seems to be the choice home for morchella this year. Photo above is of a slimemould i found on bark last weekend, so keep an eye out for these as well.

The forecast suggests tommorow is going to be perfect for fungi hunting, (and many other outdoor pursuits) so i just hope people cast an eye over any woodchip they pass.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Found on woodchip this morning, i fancy it is Coprinus leiocephalus from the pleating, brown centre and white stem.

Cheers J.P.

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Found on woodchip this morning, i fancy it is Coprinus leiocephalus from the pleating, brown centre and white stem.

Cheers J.P.

More like Parasola auricoma [= Coprinus auricomus] actually JP ! (since on woodchips !). Parasola leiocephala [= Coprinus leiocephalus] wouldn't really grow on woodchips whereas P. auricoma is very common on that substrate.

The only way to tell is to make a vertical section through the pale brown pileal disc and see if there are the typical thick walled setae (hairs) that are abundantly present in P. auricoma and absent in P. leiocephala !

Nick

[CapAndBracket]

As ever i am more than happy to accept your ID, what i find a bit difficult is that both are described as growing amongst litter and i tend to see woodchip as somewhat analagous to litter.

Cheers J.P.

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

As ever i am more than happy to accept your ID, what i find a bit difficult is that both are described as growing amongst litter and i tend to see woodchip as somewhat analagous to litter.

Cheers J.P.

Yes, it is, I agree, JP but there is litter and there is litter so to speak !!

Woodchips tend to occur (i.e they are put down artificially) as thick layers or piles of debris and what some fungi (such as P. leiocephala) like, are single or solitary little bits woody debris buried in soil (hence you never find P. leiocephala in large aggregations of basidiomes, only as singletons or rarely a couple together)

Whereas P. auricoma is frequently (but admittedly not always !) found in huge troops or big clumps growing on layers of woodchip mulch i.e thousands of woody bits all crowded together - I also wonder whether the close proximity of all the woody bits of substrate allow the mycelium to colonise and utilise it more easily and whether the increased temparature in a thick layer of woodchips (caused by the decaying processes of the woodchips) has anything to do with it ?

Perhaps P. auricoma likes those conditions and the mycelium may even be selected out by the higher temparature - who knows ??

Nick

[CapAndBracket]

I'm sure there is truth in what you are saying, the substrate certainly seems to favour some species (don't expect to find any morels on the pile of woodchip!) The heating up process must affect the woodchip chemically, it was noticable last year that when fresh load was added to front of heap it would heat up, and as soon as the heating seemed to stop the Agrocybe rivulosa would appear on it, now the mid section is a couple of years old it is home to a large number of Peziza.

Today a small troop of Coprinopsis lagopus were to be seen and these


Cheers J.P.