Strumpshaw Fungi NFK

[cjay]

Auricularia auricula-judae (Jew's Ear)
Hypoxylon nummularium
Hypoxylon fragiforme
Lepiota procera (Parasol Mushroom)
Nectria cinnabarina (Coral Spot)
Phragmidium violaceum (Bramble Rust)
Piptoporus betulinus (Birch Polypore)
Collybia butyracea (Butter Cap)
Rhodotus palmatus (Awaiting Confirmation due to rarity value)
Rhytisma acerinum (Tar Spot)
Stereum hirsutum (Hairy Stereum)
Xylaria hypoxylon (Candle Snuff Fungus)

[NJBirdringer]

Hi Colin,

Fungi (and lichens) have always fascinated me, but how on earth do you start to identify the individual species. There seem to be so many "plumage" variations.

[cjay]

Well either go with an acomplished mycologist or get some books on the subject & go out on a few forays. Get to know the common species, then you can go onto the others. Even now many of my unknowns have been thrown over my shoulder.

CJ

[cjay]

Rhodotus palmatus has been confirmed. It is the 25th Norfolk Record.

Colin J.

[Leif]

Rhodotus palmatus is one of the most beautiful fungi in our area (Berkshire) and a regular find. Perhaps we have a lot of dead Elm? It usually appears in late Autumn and early Winter.

Nigel: Part of the secret is doing a decent 'autopsy' of a couple of fruiting bodies. There are often key features that allow you to pin down a species with certainty. You should note such physical features as the external colour, internal flesh colour and any colour changes, smell, shape, ring type if present, gill form and colour.

And then there is the very important issue of habitat. Some fungi grow in association with specific plants. Thus Leccinum quercinum looks like L. versipelle, but grows with Oak unlike the latter which grows with Birch!

BTW Don't get downhearted. It took me 2 years to id one small mushroom that in Danish is called Stinkling. It smelt strongly of moth balls which was the key to the id. Many fungi are simply not described in most amateur guides!

[cjay]

I agree with Leif But most are easy. One of my ones was Macrocystidia cucumis. It smelt of Cucumbers & had huge cystidia. It took me a long while to get to this as I went into the Inocybes because of the odour of the gills. It wasn't until a friend suggested Macrocystidia that I came to this conclusion.

[Leif]

I agree with Leif But most are easy. One of my ones was Macrocystidia cucumis. It smelt of Cucumbers & had huge cystidia. It took me a long while to get to this as I went into the Inocybes because of the odour of the gills. It wasn't until a friend suggested Macrocystidia that I came to this conclusion.

Thanks Colin. Yes I didn't mean to imply it was impossible. Many are indeed easy.

M cucumis also has a distinct fishiness to my nose!

There's also fungi that smell of mice, insects, apricots, aniseed (a common smell), apple, coal gas, moth balls, curry, fenugreek, meal, honey and many other things.

[cjay]

yes does not Wood Mushroom smell of aniseed? also Clitocybes odora?

Of cours Rhodotus palmatus smells of peaches.

The Inocybes have many obscure smells too.

CJ