Lemon Disco (Bisporella citrina)

Hazel Graves writes:

Eight members of the Lit & Phil Natural History Section met with members of the Leicester Fungus Study Group at Brock’s Hill Country Park in Oadby on Saturday afternoon for a fungal exploration of the area.  This was organised by Irene Peat and led by Geoffrey Hall, and we visited by kind approval of the Park Ranger Eleanor Pratt. Our thanks to all involved. The protocol was to see and identify a range of fungi wherever possible without picking unless needed for identification under the microscope. Brock’s Hill is a newly planted woodland, about 25 years old and the Study Group are watching with interest to see when the woodland floor fungi start to appear in larger numbers and species diversity.

We set off anticlockwise around the Park. We stopped in the orchard and Geoffrey first pointed out Monilina fructigena a fungal pathogen which causes Brown Rot on apples.  The nearby bramble leaves yielded Violet Bramble Rust Phragmidium violaceum and the leaves of the pear trees had occasional patches of the fungal gall Pear Rust Gymnosporangium sabinae.

Further around the perimeter path we started to find some of the fungi which grow on dead wood.  There were several stands of Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare. Also easily visible was Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon, first noticed growing on a stump in the path. Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum was also found on dead wood. Oysterlings started to appear on dead twigs, either Variable Oysterling Crepidotus variabilis orRoundspored Oysterling Crepidotus cesatii. These two species can only be separated by examining the appearance, size and shape of the spores – oval or round for example. We were all delighted to see Lemon Disco Bisporella citrina on a fallen log (photo above), plus Wrinkled Peach Rhodotus palmatus (photo below) and Scurfy Twiglet Tubaria furfuracea on the base of tree trunks. Later we found large lumps of Shaggy Bracket Inonotus hispidus which had fallen probably from Ash. This is an annual so completes its sizeable growth each year, in comparison with the King Alfred’s Cakes Daldinia concentrica which we also found.

Wrinkled peach (Rhodotus palmatus)

The jelly fungi, the brains, caused much interest.  We found the white jelly fungus named White Brain Fungus Exidia thuretiana.  When many fruiting bodies grow together this takes on the form of a brain. Crystal Brain Fungus Myxarium nucleatum which is similar was also found, but contains easily visible crystals of calcium oxalate, plus a possible Leafy Brain Tremella foliacea, a very pale fawn colour. 

Also of considerable interest was the discovery of the Slime Mould Wolf’s Milk Lycogala terrestre.  Slime moulds are not fungi but have traditionally been studied by mycologists.

We then found a few woodland floor species; these included The Deceiver Laccaria laccata, and Brown Rollrim Paxillus involutus. A beautiful pale purple mushroom was debated – was it Amethyst Deceiver Laccaria amethystina or Violet Webcap Cortinarius violaceus? A sample was taken home by the Study Group to identify and found to be Lilac Fibrecap Inocybe lilacina (photo below).

Lilac Fibrecap (Inocybe lilacina)

Later, under a small conifer plantation, extensive stands of Grey Knight Tricholoma terreum (photo below), a conifer specialist, were found, of enormous interest to the Section members as not often seen.

Grey Knight (Tricholoma terreum)

Moving into a small Beech plantation we noticed that many of the fallen and standing dead trees had abundant small warty pustules of Beech Woodwart Hypoxylon fragiforme on them.  With woodwarts it is important to identify the species of dead wood as others look similar.  We also found Birch Woodwart Jackrogersella multiformis. The final fungus discussed was Oak Powdery Mildew Erysiphe alphitoides which seems particularly common this year. It especially attacks young leaves and soft shoots and seems to respond to certain weather conditions.

It was thought that at least 50 species were collectively observed by the Study Group who would arrange for them all to be properly recorded and a list sent to the Section. A full report will be published in the newsletter, which is available to members.

(Photos: Hazel Graves and Alan Bevington)