Sarcoscypha at last

[Morchella]

Been wanting to find one of these for ages now, even went on a wild goose chase last year. Well this one was in the middle of a footpath in Hampshire and I think someone had trod on it, but still I found a Sarcoscypha at last! Looking at the previous thread I'll leave it at Sarcoscypha sp.





Now I want to find a Scutellinia.....

Laura

[Leif]

If you want to find more, you could do worse than visit an Alder carr, or anywhere damp with lots of Willow and/or Alder. It was quite common in our area last year, and one local bog regularly has loads of the stuff. Just watch where you walk, as I discovered last year when my right leg sank several feet into soft peat.

If you do visit a carr, keep an eye open for Ciboria amentacea and Phellinus igniarius.

[ohgreatstew]

Good work Laura, I would love to find this, not very common down my way though...

[Morchella]

Thanks Leif,

Think the problem is not much alder carr where I usually go walking (s Herts & Essex). In fact most of the year not very damp either! sounds like Stew has a similar situation.

Laura

[Leif]

Originally Posted by Morchella

Thanks Leif,

Think the problem is not much alder carr where I usually go walking (s Herts & Essex). In fact most of the year not very damp either! sounds like Stew has a similar situation.

Laura

Laura, that's not so good. I found only one record in the FRDBI:

Sarcoscypha austriaca, wet branches on ground, in woodland, 10/04/2002, England, Hertfordshire (VC: 20), Walkern (near), Lords Wood,

There must be suitable sites. The dragonfly sanctuary has lots of damp woods and surely the banks of the Lee should have dead Alder. Or maybe not!

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by Leif

If you want to find more, you could do worse than visit an Alder carr, or anywhere damp with lots of Willow and/or Alder. It was quite common in our area last year, and one local bog regularly has loads of the stuff. Just watch where you walk, as I discovered last year when my right leg sank several feet into soft peat.

If you do visit a carr, keep an eye open for Ciboria amentacea and Phellinus igniarius.

I am still looking for Sarcoscypha in wet woodland. I did find the Phellinus

and a small Scutellinia
but a quick look at the key and I realised it was not Scutellinia but a Cheilymenia sp growing on cow dung so probably stercorea.

Mal

[Morchella]

Maybe it likes a peaty soil? Trying to dredge back in my memory to those ecology lectures I seem to remember that carr is the successor to fen so maybe that's the different characteristic that Sarcoscypha likes. I do quite bit of walking along the banks of the Lee and there are some alder (more willow) around but never seen a single Sarcoscypha there.

Laura