Members’ Finds, July to December 2024
Following the success of our Members' Finds project introduced in 2020, here is our new page for July to December 2024 to which members are again invited to contribute. Please email Penny photos of anything you find - even of species already on previous lists. Common or rare: all are welcome! Thanks to all our many contributors, we now have well over 1000 species illustrated here, all from Buckinghamshire!
• Aim to show all aspects of the fruitbody even if this necessitates several photos.
• Please send images as an attachment and not embedded into the email text.
• All photos should be captioned with fungus name if known, site, date, your initials. EG Amanita muscaria Penn Wood 01.10.2024 PC1.
• Please include in your email as much detail as possible (eg size, smell, substrate, habitat, microscopic details if available). All clues are vital when identifying solely from photos.
• If possible collect and retain at least one specimen until you've heard back from Penny in case further investigation is required - records of rarities are invalid without voucher material which may well need to be dried for molecular sequencing to confirm.
• NEW FOR 2024! Click on Previous finds at the end of any entry to view all other Members' Finds entries for that species.
• NEW FOR 2024! We now have a SEARCH FACILITY for the LATIN MASTERLIST INDEX, speeding up access and automatically grouping all entries for any one species together for convenient comparison etc.
• The regularly updated list of entries remains in place as previously, in a choice of either Latin binomial or English common names.
• 
Only entries marked with this symbol have been microscopically examined. There is no guarantee on identifications made of entries lacking this symbol though all photos are checked and selected by Penny to the best of her ability. Basic accompanying notes are also Penny's.
• 
Entries marked with this symbol have been confirmed or identified using DNA sequencing.
HAPPY HUNTING!
Click on thumbnail to see full size
For the complete and regularly updated list of entries click Latin or English
To search the LATIN MASTERLIST INDEX since its inception click here
Contributors / Photographers: Bob Simpson; Chris Grimbly; Gill Ferguson; Jesper Launder; Jim Wills; John Catterson; Stephen Plummer.
Rare sightings 2 |
New to Buckinghamshire 1 |
New to UK 0 |
July August September October November December
| Image | Details |
|---|
August 20th 2024
 |
August 20th Meripilus giganteus (Giant Polypore) In Tinkers Wood John Catterson noticed this charismatic species just beginning to spread at the base of an unidentified rotten trunk (likeliest to be Beech). When at full size there's no mistaking this bracket but when young like this it could possibly be confused with Grifola frondosa (Hen of the Woods) which as chance would have was found yesterday (see entry below) giving an opportunity to compare the two. If in doubt, break a piece off and keep an eye on it for half an hour; if the Giant it will gradually blacken where bruised, if the Hen it won't! Previous finds |
August 19th 2024
 |
August 19th Grifola frondosa (Hen of the Woods) In Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens Gill Ferguson spotted this stunning fungus at the bottom of a trunk (but was so busy admiring it that she didn't notice the host tree!). It is a distinctive tiered bracket fungus, not that common and usually at the base of either Oak or Beech. New to the site, we have quite a few records though Penny's not seen it since the earlier Finds entry in 2020. See comments on that entry for a bit more information. Previous finds |
|
August 15th Fistulina hepatica (Beefsteak Fungus) In Pullingshill Wood Stephen Plummer found this attractive bracket on fallen Oak and sent his photos (1-3) to Penny for confirmation as this was young material and not yet showing the exterior blood red signs which give the species away. Photo 4 was sent in by Gill Ferguson from Burnham Beeches two days later with no doubt about the typical bloody signs here! This is about the time to be looking out for this charismatic bracket which is soft in texture and often to be found on standing or fallen Oak. Previous finds |
August 17th 2024
 |
August 17th Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom ) In Tinkers Wood John Catterson found this nice cluster on an Oak log. Sure signs that thing fungal re at last starting to move again! Previous finds |
August 14th 2024
 |
August 14th Gymnopus fusipes (Spindle Toughshank) In woodland near Chalfont St. Peter Jim Wills noticed this clustered species at the base of an Oak trunk. Though a common species and often an early fruiter, nothing has been very common so far this summer so finding anything worthy of a photo has been a challenge. Photo 2 shows its typical tapering stem base, often conjoined to its neighbour in this species and a useful clue, together with its flexible rubbery general texture, to its identity if in any doubt. Previous finds |
 |
August 14th Amanita rubescens (Blusher) In Naphill Common John Catterson was pleased to find this distinctive species in good condition and showing all its characters nicely. This is often an early fruiter but when there is little fungi about for hungry mammals to nibble at it is unusual to find either an Amanita or even a Brittlegill with so little damage. Note the pink blushing visible on the stem, also the ring, the swollen base and the veil remnants on the cap - all sure signs of this common species Previous finds |
August 12th 2024
 |
August 12th Scleroderma citrinum (Common Earthball) On Goldhill Common under Oak and Birch Jim Wills found this species fruiting in good numbers. The tough scaly surface together with its thick skin and almost black interior when sliced open (when an unpleasant rubbery smell is apparent) help to separate it from other species of Earthball. Previous finds |
August 9th 2024
 |
August 9th Hemileccinum impolitum (Iodine Bolete) In a roadside verge under Oak in Gerrards Cross Jesper Launder found this smart pair of boletes despite the area being very dry. On picking one the strong smell of iodoform was immediately apparent (Jesper described them as reeking!) leaving him in no doubt as to the species, this confirmed with one press of the pores which then failed to show any sign of blueing. This is a large chunky solid species with a preference for sandy calcareous soils under Oak and should present no problems to identify if the smell and lack of blueing on the pores are noticed. Previous finds |
 |
August 9th Battarrea phalloides (Sandy Stiltball) In Fulmer Jesper Launder was both astonished and delighted to spot a group of these rare and strange looking fungi in a dry grassy roadside bank near some Leylandii. Related to the gasteroid (stomach) fungi, the species is on the Red Data List and as such protected by law (thus should not be picked). Jesper reports that there were three fresh stalks about 10 cm tall amongst some 6 or 7 much older dilapidated specimens - probably left from last year. The species is woody and tough, also somewhat unpredictable where it fruits, but does seem to like banks with sandy soil near conifer and has now been found several times in the county, always in urban areas. This is the second find of the year and we now have four similar sites for it in Bucks, so rather like the equally strange and also gasteroid species Clathrus ruber it does seem to be on the increase. Climate change? Previous finds |
July 30th 2024
 |
July 30th Suillellus luridus (Lurid Bolete) In a roadside verge in Chalfont St. Peter Jim Wills came across a group of ten boletes fruiting in soil under Lime, his photo 1 is of a conjoined pair. The colour of the pores and bluing flesh when exposed to air quickly limited the possibilities so he took one home to work out which of the three likeliest candidates it was. The impressive and prominent network (see photo 2) covering the entire stem eliminated Neoboletus luridiformis (Scarletina Bolete) - by far the commonest of our red-pored boletes, and also pointed to S. luridiformis rather than S. queletii (Deceiving Bolete) - another contender which also has a network but it is less well defined and tends to be only in the lower stem. Jim placed a drop of Melzer's reagent on the lower stem flesh (see photo 3) which turned deep blue further confirming it was one of these two species (N. luridiformis flesh turns dirty brown ie a negative reaction). Both species are positive with Melzers and have some beetroot red colour in the lower stem flesh but this is much more marked in B. queletii which furthermore has an abruptly tapering and rooting stem base - not seen here. B. queletii is the rarer of the two species but was much in evidence last summer in our area. So both are well worth looking out for now. Incidentally, photo 4 is a good example of how to separate the genus Xerocomellus from other bolete genera: when the tubes (under the cap flesh) are pulled apart the individual tubes remain intact in all boletes except Xerocomellus where they rupture. Previous finds |
July 19th 2024
 |
July 19th Taphrina alni (Alder Tongue) On the dead (female) cones of an Italian Alder in Salden Wood Bob Simpson had noticed the 'tongues' of this unusual species emerging last year (and which are apparently still there). So he'd been keeping an eye out for their reappearance this year and noticed them a few days ago. The fungus is a pathogen which induces these long lasting galls on Alder, and what we see is apparently deformed plant material with the asci of the fungus contained within. Green at first, the tongues turn red as here (hence its English name) then yellowish and eventually black and gnarled. By no means rare, the species is apparently becoming much more common in the UK though this is a new record for the county. |
July 13th 2024
 |
July 13th Agrocybe rivulosa (Wrinkled Fieldcap) On a path covered in old woodchips in Austenwood, Chalfont St. Peter, Jim Wills spotted several clumps of mushrooms obviously triggered into action after the recent rains. Described as an alien species which arrived here 20 years ago, probably on imported woodchip, it has spread rapidly and is now relatively common, favouring well rotted woodchip piles. Typical of the genus it has a pale cap not unlike Agaricus, fruits mainly in summer, has deep brown spores and a marked ring on the stem which hangs down (pendant - see photo 3). The cap soon develops deep wrinkles or fissures (see photo 2). Similar is Cyclocybe cylindracea - previously in Agrocybe and also found on woodchip. They can be separated by smell - farinaceous in today's species but aromatic in C. cylindracea, also with microscopy - the spores of today's species having a notably larger germ pore. Previous finds |
July 5th 2024
 |
July 5th Polyporus tuberaster (Tuberous Polypore) In Bernwood Forest Chris Grimbly noticed this quite distinctive Polypore with cap similar to a smaller version of P. squamosum (Dryad's Saddle) with very widely spaced pores underneath which appear slightly decurrent. Not surprisingly the cap is somewhat nibbled – woodland fungi favoured my small mammals are in short supply at the moment so are very likely to be gratefully munched at any opportunity! Though by no means rare this appears to be a new entry for Finds. |
July 1st 2024
 |
July 1st Melanogaster ambiguus (Stinking Slime Truffle) In Beaconsfield Jesper Launder went searching for truffle 'dig holes' in a spot under Lime and Oak where he'd had success a few weeks back. Finding one with some truffly scraps he investigated more closely and was instantly hit by the most repellent vile smell he described as of landfill gases! The remains of the specimen were not in the best condition (obviously fully mature!) and were black and sticky within. He knew at this moment it had to be M. ambiguus but bothered to check the spores later at home to confirm. We have just two previous county records from 2007 found not far way in H. Wycombe and Jesper says he's only found it previously in a Manchester park. |