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October 2019 fungi

Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: General
Forum Name: Associated Fauna and Flora
Forum Description: A forum for plants, invertebrates and other animals associated with herpetofauna
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5306
Printed Date: 28 Mar 2024 at 1:07pm
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Topic: October 2019 fungi
Posted By: chubsta
Subject: October 2019 fungi
Date Posted: 23 Oct 2019 at 9:22am
Went to the local woods on a toadstool hunt and whilst there was nothing earth-shattering, the sheer quantity of fungi was incredible, it was literally everywhere you looked...





















Replies:
Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 23 Oct 2019 at 9:24am










Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2019 at 7:19pm
went scrumping in the local orchards today, as well as some very fresh apples we saw loads of fungi, some where absolute monsters...

we saw plenty like these, some of which had been broken open and they appeared to just be a mass of white flesh inside, no gills or anything, basically just a great big mushroom.






 saw this smaller one and he looks very cute and pleased with himself in an anime sort of way, could be a character from a Nintendo game...



Posted By: Liz Heard
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2019 at 10:15am
Hi Chubsta
Sorry, only just noticed this as i've not been on the forum lately - it is the quiet close season after all.

Quite a haul you've got there! Some of those have closely-related lookalikes so would require detailed descriptions, multiple photos from different angles/ specimens representing the various lifestages, and possibly even microscopy to confidently reach species level.
But here goes...

1 is young Shaggy Ink-caps (Coprinus comatus)
2, 10 and 13 show - very common and good to eat - Honey Fungus (Armillaria)
3 is Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum)
4 a photo showing the gills would clinch this one, but i think Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina) is very likely. However, outside chance it's a small Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda) - a highly variable species.
5 and 7 are Mycena. 2 possibilities - M. pura (perhaps likeliest) and M. rosea
6 is Xerocomus or Xerocomellus. The exposed bit of red flesh glimpsed beneath the cap surface suggests it's possibly X. chrysenteron. One of the Bolete group of pored rather than gilled, fungi.
8 and 9 are different stages of Magpie Fungus Coprinopsis picacea. Similar/related to the Shaggy Ink-caps in 1.

11, 12 and 14 are various Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria). Arguably the most recognisable wild fungus species among the public (even if they don't always know it's name). Virtually every 'toadstool' depicted in fairy tales is based on it.

Your second post shows the magnificent and unmistakable Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea), which is also very tasty (provided it's fresh and firm).

Nice range of finds!


Interesting fact re 2, 10 and 13: The largest known single organism in the world is a Dark Honey Fungus found in the USA a few years ago. It was measured and covers a couple of square miles or so - same dna end to end!
The subterranean mycelium that is. There wasn't 2 sq miles of mushroom forest!


Posted By: Liz Heard
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2019 at 4:15pm
By the way, i see what you mean about that last puffball. It looks a bit like Dominic Cummings too.


Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2019 at 9:54pm
Thanks very much - always good to know what they are. The Giant Puffballs were very impressive, if I had known they were good to eat I would have grabbed one, they were in excellent condition and very numerous.

This is certainly the most fungi we have seen, it has been a very dry summer and very wet autumn so that clearly benefits them.


Posted By: Liz Heard
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2019 at 12:45am
It's certainly been very good in my area. The range and sheer volume of mushrooms - particularly last weekend - has been one of the best for ages. It was very synchronised too - species that normally arrive a little later came early.

With Giant Puffballs, press with your thumb to test. It should only give a little, perhaps a cm at most. If your thumb goes right in easily, or the puffball breaks under minimal pressure, it's too late. They can't be sliced for the table then and just fall apart.


Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2019 at 10:42am
Cheers, if I see any more I will give it a go, we ore off out again on Saturday.

Of course, if I get it wrong and eat the wrong thing, you can have my record collection...


Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 03 Nov 2019 at 4:49pm
A couple more that popped up in the garden





Posted By: Liz Heard
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2019 at 12:40am
Fortunately, the Giant Puffball doesn't have any lookalikes, poisonous or otherwise. Not among fungi anyway - i've walked across a field to a punctured football before now

Always a treat to have a fungus species make it's presence known with an ambush fruiting in your own garden.
I'm afraid i can't confidently suggest an id - even to genus - for your first fungi without all the additional photos/detailed information i keep blathering on about. Sorry!
Based on what can see though, my best guess would be jaded Blewits (Lepista). Either L. nuda or the less frequent lookalike L. sordida. Size/shape are within range, and i think i can detect fading violet hues (particularly the small one on the right) which would match. Plus both species are frequent enough in garden habitats.


Posted By: Liz Heard
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2019 at 9:59am
Forgot to say, the second one looks like the appropriately named Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon. Again, these are old ones that have faded. When fresh, the branches are black.

If you're going to collect Giant Puffball to eat, it's probably best to familiarise yourself with the superficially similar and poisonous Earth Balls.(Scleroderma). Don't get too jumpy though - they are easily distinguished, even by complete novices:

1. they don't grow anywhere near as large as Giant Puffballs
   (maybe 10-15 cm in diameter tops)
2. the surface is noticeably scaly and yellowy, not smooth and white
3. the interior is very dark (grey-black), not pure white
4. their habitat choices are far less catholic (usually restricted
   to ancient deciduous woodland)

This is the most common one:

https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/scleroderma-citrinum.php" rel="nofollow - https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/scleroderma-citrinum.php



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