Sand Dune Fungi

[black]

Please can anyone help ID this fungi I photographed on Birkdale Dunes on the Sefton Coast, Merseyside last week. There were 8 or so of them amongst the Marram Grass on the dunes.

[FungiJohn]

Hi black
I'm not sure about this fungus but did you see any bird's nest fungus, which is quite common on marram grass. Having said that, I've never found any bird's nest fungus on anything yet
John

[black]

Hi Fungi John, no unfortunately I didn't see any Bird's nest fungi about, although the person I was with did mention that it has been found in this area. I did have a bit of a nose around but there's obviously rather a lot of marram about these dunes
The only example of Bird's-nest fungi I have seen was on some woodchippings around a small planted bed of holly bushes close to the cenotaph in Liverpool city centre.

[fairplay]

Hi Black !

Your mystery fungus looks to me like Psathyrella ammophila, quite common among marram grass summer to autumn.

It doesn't appear in Phillips but is in Jordon's book on page 237.

Neil.

[black]

Thanks Neil, yes Dune Brittlestem Psathyrella ammophila certainly looks right -saprotrophic dune specialist on Marram. Cheers