Unknown Fungus for ID please

[Nettle Runner]

Cuckney Hay Wood 2 Aug 2009
Found growing in path on part buried wood in coniferous woodland.





There appears to be only a rudimentary gill shape.

Comments or suggestions as to an ID are welcomed.
Les

[SheffieldLass]

I'm wondering if have they been got by another fungus, and the reason why the gills are not properly developed or part obliterated? The close up looks a bit like that ...

[fairplay]

Sterile Lyophyllum leucophaeatum perhaps, this bruises blue, finally turning black.

[NickCantle]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Sterile Lyophyllum leucophaeatum perhaps, this bruises blue, finally turning black.

Couldn't resist could you

[fairplay]

[Chris Yeates]

hi Les

it's a bit difficult to gauge the scale - but I am guessing these are on the small side?

I think this fungus could be Cudoniella acicularis, and that the reason the gills haven't developed is because this isn't a gilled fungus

remember the vast majority of fungi don't have gills - so their absence isn't necessarily caused by a problem

that said, pace Melanie, there does seem to be something interesting happening on some of the fruit-bodies; if you have material Les, PM me - I'm always happy to look at the more unusual stuff - especially if from my stamping grounds of years ago!

cheers

Chris

PS - though I've never heard of Cuckney Hay Wood - just checked (tsk tsk - not Yorkshire)

[ManwithNoname]

As Chris says, it is difficult to judge the size of these, but my feeling is that they may be too large for Cudoniella acicularis, judging by the surrounding mosses and conifer debris.

If they were in the order of 2-4cm high they could be something much more unsusual - Cudonia confusa. But more information would be needed to be sure whether this is even an option.

[Nettle Runner]

They were indeed small. I'd say in the order of 1cm high. It was the quantity of fruit bodies that atracted my attention, and it took a hand lens to establish that they were indeed fungal.
Sorry Chris, no sample collected. My good friend FJ was absent on this trip, and he is the collector of samples. I do occassional stray across the border, Chris.

Thanks for all your comments. It is so good to have old friends returning, too.

Les

[ManwithNoname]

Originally Posted by Nettle Runner

They were indeed small. I'd say in the order of 1cm high.

Which is at the upper end of the size range for Cudoniella acicularis so Chris is probably spot on.