Bucks Fungus Group

Members’ Finds 2026

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February 26th 2026

	February 26th Flammulaster granulosus (Granulose Spark) In soil in a roadside bank between Little Chalfont and Chalfont St. Giles, Jesper Launder spotted these LBJs which appeared very similar to a collection of Flammulaster ferruginea he'd found recently in very similar habitat (see the Feb 18th entry). Working on these at home revealed some important differences from that collection, both macro and micro. The cap surface was granular (visible in photo 2) and lacked the striations seen previously, furthermore the cells in both the cap cuticle and gills were different, making this F. granulosus - a species with only one previous county record from 2008 though not that rare according to FRDBI. New find
	February 26th Psathyrella spadiceogrisea (Spring Brittlestem) At Stowe Landscape Gardens Penny found several Brittlestems in grassy soil, some under Pine and others under deciduous trees, and suspected they would all turn out to be this quite common springtime species. All had somewhat faded caps bar one immature specimen (central in photo 2) reflecting the rather open aspect at the site with some recent (welcome) sun having caused the fading. A quick check with a scope confirmed their ID. Previous finds
	February 26th Trichaptum abietinum (Purplepore Bracket) At Stowe Landscape Gardens Penny noticed this row of small white brackets on the sawn end of Pine trunk which, until the underside had been examined, could have been a number of similar 'pleurotoid' fungi. Photo 2 shows the distinctive pinkish purple irregular underside typical of this species, thus eliminating other contenders. it is very common on conifer logs and not limited to Abies (Fir) as the species epithet might imply. Previous finds

February 25th 2026

	February 25th Cordyceps farinosa (a Caterpillarclub with no English name) Near the Beaconsfield Services whilst clearing away leaves looking for anything fungal, Jesper Launder spotted these cream coloured clubs, knew they were familiar but the name eluded him. Sarah Ebdon quickly came up with the name, however. Photo 2 shows it having been carefully disentangled from the soil and debris but with the unfortunate larva still attached and from which the fungus had emerged. We have a handful of previous county records though under the earlier genus names of Isaria and Paecilomyces. Previous finds
	February 25th Helvella acetabulum (Vinegar Cup) Under leaves near Hawthorn and Hazel at Beaconsfield Services Jesper Launder caught his eye in this tiny specimen less than 1 cm across and recognised it as the undeveloped stage of H. acetabulum, a cup fungus which fruits in spring with a preference for sandy soils. When mature it becomes typically cup-shaped with a tan brown outer surface which is distinctly veined, not unlike the underside of a Savoy cabbage leaf. Previous finds
	February 25th Ciboria amentacea (Alder Goblet) In an area at Beaconsfield Services with Alder, Sarah Ebdon and Jesper Launder went searching for a particular springtime asco which associates specifically with the previous year's decomposing male Alder catkins. To their delight they were rewarded with not just one or two examples but many tens of them. They report that at one point, disturbing some thick vegetation to look underneath it, they noticed a puff of spore dispersal - amazing when one considers that these tiny long-stemmed cups are no more than 6mm across at most. This not surprisingly is a new species for the county as we don't seem to have many areas where Alder occurs, though FRDBI is not short of records. What a lovely find! The photos are Sarah's. New find
	February 25th Lachnum virgineum (Snowy Disco) In an area at Beaconsfield Services with Alder, Sarah Ebdon and Jesper Launder went searching for some special fungi which associate specifically with that host on the fallen catkins. To their surprise they came across this tiny white hairy asco colonising one of the cone-like female Alder catkins. Suspecting it might be something unusual given this host, Sarah checked it out with a scope but found that it fitted exactly with Lachnum virgineum - very common on fallen deciduous bare wood, but on this host?! The photo is Barry Webb's. Previous finds
	February 25th Pseudoclitocybe cyathiformis (Goblet) In the lawns at Prestwood churchyard the curate spotted this pair of Goblets when a few of us were visiting. Though damaged and very waterlogged, the upturned small cap which was lying beside them proved useful to show the clear forking of the gills near the margin, a feature often but not always present in this species. Of our 70 odd county records just a few are dated late October but the majority are dated late November continuing well into February, showing this as a species with a preference for the winter months. See also the much rarer P. cf expallens found by Sarah Ebdon three days earlier, though this awaits sequencing to confirm. The photos here are also Sarah's. Previous finds
	February 25th Geoglossum umbratile (Plain Earthtongue) In mossy grass under Oak in the outskirts of Gerrards Cross Jesper Launder found 10 Earthtongues and took them home to work on. This is a genus always needing a check with a scope, with many somewhat similar members. He found the 7-septate spores (imagine a sausage with 7 lines dividing it into sections) and typical paraphyses (cells between the sacs holding the spores, in this species with tips shaped like hockey sticks) which fitted with this particular species - not a rarity, nor apparently that unusual at this time, but we have only a handful of county records. New find
	February 25th Psathyrella bipellis (Maroon Brittlestem) At Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens - ablaze with stunning daffodils and other spring beauties - Penny found a pristine and rather smart rich brown capped LBJ under Cedar where the thick woodchip merged with grassy soil. Jesper Launder instantly suggested it was probably in genus Psathyrella (Brittlestem), whereupon Penny suggested maybe even P. bipellis on account of its dome shape and rich colour with a hint of red and purple together with white edged but clearly dark gills in contrast to the white stem - these last two characters typical of the genus. Jesper also collected a very faded specimen from nearby (photo 3) suggesting at the time that it might well be the same despite appearing totally different. At home Penny found the large dark reddish brown spores having a clear germ pore at one end fitted well, as did the plentiful large cystidia on both gill edge and face. Sure enough, Jesper's specimen also match these criteria, showing just how tricky these hygrophanous species can be to recognise in the field. P. bipellis is unusual in the genus in having a distinctive smell, variously described as fruity, of peppermint, nettles or cat urine, though it was not until the next morning when the specimens had dried out that any smell became apparent to either Penny or Jesper, who however reported a convincing smell of cat urine! Previous finds
	February 25th Heterotrichia ferruginea (a slime mould with no English name) At Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens Sarah Ebdon spotted some bright coral pink patches on a rotting bare log and on closer inspection realised it was the developing plasmodium of a slime mould. Further inspection revealed another patch nearby where it had matured into the typical fluffy loofah-like heads of the genus Arcyria. Sarah took her photos and then took a mature sample to show Barry Webb (our BFG slime mould guru) who made the identification from its shape, colour and habit. We appear to have just a handful of previous county records though under the name Arcyria ferruginea, several members of this genus having recently been moved into other genera as here. Previous finds
	February 25th Auricularia mesenterica (Tripe Fungus) At Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens Jesper Launder spotted this flabby cluster of brackets on a bare damp indeterminate log and turning a piece over confirmed his thoughts that it was this species - a relative of the more familiar Auricularia auricula-judae (Wood Ear), common on dying or fallen Elder. The brackets have a zoned hairy upper surface not unlike Stereum hirsutum (Hairy Curtain Crust) but that's where the similarity ends because the soft pliable gelatinous texture becomes apparent when you pick a piece to view the underside which is veined / ribbed in a similar way to Wood Ear. (The photo is Penny's) Previous finds

February 24th 2026

February 24th Geopora sumneriana (Cedar Cup)

In Gerrards Cross Jesper Launder checked under a large Cedar where he'd found this spring fruiting asco before, and sure enough there it was poking out through the woody litter. It typically remains half submerged in soil and opens out to form petal-like lobes, exactly as seen here, but is not common and is considered host specific to Cedar though with occasional reports under Yew also.

Previous finds

February 22nd 2026

Pseudoclitocybe cf. expallens by Sarah Ebdon

February 22nd Pseudoclitocybe cf. expallens (a rare species of Goblet with no English name)

On mossy open grassland near Gt. Cookshall Wood Sarah Ebdon saw what she thought at first glance was P. cyathiformis (Goblet) - a regular fruiter in winter and early spring, but to her the jizz just wasn't quite right. It was on the small side, somewhat too pale for the common species and the cap outer surface was distinctly striate and not sharply inrolled, smooth and shiny as one would expect. At home she found that the spores were too small for P. cyathiformis but in fact fitted better with P. expallens though were not an exact match, and reading what she could find about this genus revealed that the two species are very close and often hard to separate. This could account for the far fewer records for this rarely recorded and little known species which could easily be misidentifed as P. cyathiformis. A sample will be sequenced, and if confirmed it will be a new county record. Compare with the entry for the common species found three days later at Prestwood Churchyard.

New find

February 18th 2026

Flammulaster ferrugineus by Jesper Launder

February 18th Flammulaster ferrugineus (a rare species of Spark with no English name)

At Stoke Common Jesper Launder abandoned exploring the common itself which was largely under water, so tried the adjacent roadside verge instead. Here, coming across a wet gully, he found this unfamiliar mushroom in amazing numbers along a stretch of 30 to 50 meters growing horizontally out of the bank just above the waterline. He reckons there were at least 200 specimens! He wondered about the genus Tubaria but quickly rejected this in view of their distinctly reddish tint (though both spores and cystidia were within range), so it was back to the drawing board at home, and in Fungi of Temperate Europe he came across a good possibility in Flammulaster ferrugineus. The key microscopic character was the cap cuticle consisting of hyphae forming chains of encrusted cells - this fitted perfectly, as did the striation marking on the cap which distinguish the species from the similar F. granulosa. So though only a fairly ordinary looking LBJ, it was sufficiently different and well worth the time spent on working out an ID. This is new to the county and a sample will be dried for sequencing. Good detective work, Jesper!

New find

February 17th 2026

February 17th Terana coerulea (Cobalt Crust)

At Burnham Beeches on one of the carved statues along the easy access path not far from the cafe Jordy Payne noticed this striking patch of seemingly blue 'paint', and dismissing the likelihood of someone actually having liberally spilt paint on it she realised this must be the rare and beautiful blue corticioid fungus. What a find! This stunning species favours bare dead hardwood such as Ash or Hazel but is not at all common and this looks to be a particularly splendid example. We have about 6 previous county records under this name (though until recently the species name was spelt caerulea) with a few earlier records under the previous genus name Pulcherricium. This is apparently the second record for Burnham Beeches, the first being in 2023.

Previous finds

February 16th 2026

February 16th Coprinellus micaceus (Glistening Inkcap)

At Stampwell Farm Jackie Ewan spotted this cluster on some woodchip but also spotted that the give-away 'glistening' tiny veil granules for which the species is named were virtually all missing (no doubt washed off by the recent rains). Thus a check of the spores was needed just to make sure it was this species, and sure enough their size and mitriform shape (like a bishop's hat) confirmed it for her.

Previous finds

February 15th 2026

Just in
February 2nd

Meripilus sanguinolentus (Bleeding Porecrust)
Click here

February 14th 2026

Just in February 2nd	Marasmius hudsonii (Holly Parachute) Mycena tenerrima (Frosty Bonnet) Hohenbuehelia grisea (Grey Oyster) Myxarium nucleatum (Crystal Brain) Exidia thuretiana (White Brain) Click here
	February 14th Galerina variibasidia (a rare Bell with no English name) At Stampwell Farm in the Cherry avenue Jackie Ewan found this small Bell species growing as before in the moss Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus (Springy Turf Moss). This is a fungus newly described in 2021 with as yet extremely few UK collections, and as our first attempt to get a sample from Jackie sequenced unfortunately failed, we hope for better results from a subsequent collection she made last autumn in order to confirm it. In fact she comments that she's noticed this species here every month from February to May and again from September to December. (In her photos 1 and 2 the predominant moss visible is in fact Pseudoscleropodium purum (Neat Feather Moss) but she noted that the Rhytiadelphus was also present. However in photo 3 - taken in 2024 when she first became aware of this Galerina - the predominant moss is the Rhytiadelphus.) Previous finds
	February 14th Clitocybe fragrans (Fragrant Funnel) At Stampwell Farm, Jackie Ewan reports that this species has been fruiting on and off throughout the winter months, as indeed is quite often the case. A fairly nondescript pallid small mushroom, yes, but with a delicious sweet smell of aniseed though sometimes this needs a bit of time after collection to develop but is then unmistakeable. Previous finds

February 12th 2026

Just in
January 26th

Geastrum britannicum (Vaulted Earthstar)
Click here

February 11th 2026

Meottomyces dissimulans by Jesper Launder

February 11th Meottomyces dissimulans (Winter Brownie)

In Seer Green Jesper Launder came across a sizeable fruiting (60+ fruit bodies) of this infrequently recorded LBJ which has a preference for this time of year. Jesper apparently knows it from 'up north' but had not seen it in Bucks before today. Penny has only found it once - see the Finds previous entry which includes some description details, so this is one to look out for now as the present conditions must clearly be suitable. Note that the stem ring - a useful pointer to the species - is visible on the two young fruit bodies (bottom left) but is missing on others and is described as fleeting. Though described as widespread, this species is not common with under 50 FRDBI records.

Previous finds

February 10th 2026

	February 10th Sarcoscypha austriaca (Scarlet Elfcup) A wander at Turville Heath produced several fungi today but Penny was particularly pleased and also not surprised to find first one, then a couple more examples of this charismatic and eye-catching spring species. It favours damp places where fallen deciduous wood is in contact with soil, and there should be plenty of those around at the moment! Here it was on fallen Lime though it often shows a preference for Willow (though maybe just because Willow favours damp areas too?). We have plenty of previous entries, yes, but Penny couldn't resist putting this one in as she's received no report of it as yet this year. Previous finds
	February 10th Psathyrella spadiceogrisea (Spring Brittlestem) In woody litter under Lime at Turville Heath Penny found a small singleton, and at home her thoughts that it was a Psathyrella, possibly spadiceogrisea considering the time of year, were confirmed. Our earliest record - we have plenty - is for early March (as it happens from this same site - Finds entry Mar. 3rd 2024), with the vast majority of records for April and May, but considering the recent mild and very damp extended spell it seems hardly surprising that it should be starting to fruit now. Previous finds
	February 10th Exidia glandulosa (Witch's Butter) It is perhaps no surprise (after constant rain) that 'jelly fungi' should be thriving at present, and this was born out at Turville Heath where Penny found this fully expanded and extremely soggy and gelatinous example on fallen Lime. The underside (seen in photo 2) shows the finely bobbly surface typical of both this species and the similar E. nigricans (Warlock's Butter), though that species is more 'brainlike', forms clusters of smaller less cushion-like fruit bodies which don't develop into the large individual swellings seen here. If splitting the two is in doubt, there is a difference in spore size between them, though today Penny thought it not necessary to check. (For further explanation re the names of these two species see her comments under the E. nigricans entry dated Jan 17th 2022.) Previous finds
	February 10th Tubaria furfuracea (Scurfy Twiglet) In a large patch covered in rotting chips and woody debris at Turville Heath (where a Beech had been felled last year) Penny counted upwards of 100 fruit bodies of this common species dotted about. Nearly all were missing the tell-tale white veil remnants around the cap rim which in the field help to separate this species from the similar genus Conocybe or even Galerina - no doubt washed off by rain. However, the slightly decurrent gills (often but not always apparent) seen in photo 2 left no doubt in her mind. Elsewhere in a less exposed spot she found another example less affected by the rain and showing this rim of veil well (photo 3). Previous finds
	February 10th Auricularia auricula-judae (Jelly Ear) In a somewhat drizzly Turville Heath Penny spotted a fallen Ash branch liberally covered with this species - common on Elder, less common on Beech, but with just two previous county records this century on Ash as here. (In all we have around 350 records in the database!) It was not until she'd turned one over to check that she was certain of the ID (see examples of the typical underside in both photos) because none looked typically ear-shaped and all were rather browner than usual with little hint of red - maybe just very washed out. Previous finds
Just in September 23rd 2025	Russula rutila (Ruddy Brittlegill) Click here

February 9th 2026

	February 9th Cortinarius damascenus (Clustered Webcap) In Chalfont St. Peter Jesper Launder was surprised to find a Cortinarius (Webcap) under Beech - this being a strange time of year for this genus. However, he recalled finding an identical collection from this same spot back in late December 2024 (though his photo never made it into Finds, thus is included here). The species is apparently characterised in the field not only by its tapering conjoined stems (which he'd observed in the first collection) but also by its cap colour suggesting plums or damsons and its raphanoid (radishy) smell. The microscopic features also fitted, thus though today's collection was only a singleton he is confident that the two collections are one and the same. There are scant UK records this century on FRDBI, and prior to that one from 1945 and another from 1915, so it is seldom recorded thus a sample will be sequenced, especially as December and February are somewhat unusual for this genus to be found fruiting. (Photo 1 is of the 2024 collection.) New find
	February 9th Entoloma cf. sericioides (Satin Pinkgill) In Gerrards Cross Jesper Launder spied a large shiny capped Entoloma in mossy grassy near Oak, noted its distinct rancid mealy smell on collection and took it home to key out. The small spores and silky dark brown cap fitted with the relatively common E. sericeum (Silky Pinkgill), however the slightly sunken cap centre and (microscopically) the lack of clamps suggested the similar but rarely recorded E. sericeoides. Bearing in mind that clamps, if present, are often elusive and easily missed, this specimen will be sequenced to confirm and Jesper is happier to qualify the name with 'cf.' for now. We have just one previous county record: Derek's from Rushbeds Wood back in 1999. New find
	February 9th Elaphomyces muricatus (Marbled False Truffle) In Chalfont St. Peter Jesper Launder spotted various dig holes on a residential lawn, and with the owner's blessing he checked the holes for truffles. At the bottom of one, a squirrel-scraped surface of an Elaphomyces truffle was just visible, but only on excavating it did he realise why the squirrel had failed to remove it. It was an absolute whopper! This species is described as reaching 2.5cm across at most, but this one was a good cm larger than that! However, the distinctive garlic smell together with microscopic features left no doubt though it was, in his words: 'far and away the largest specimen I've encountered!'. Previous finds

February 8th 2026

	February 8th Lamproderma scintillans (a slime mould with no English name) In Ragpits Reserve Phil Townsend noticed these tiny shiny white globes on thin stalks on a piece of rotten wood, thought it was a slime mould and sent his photo to Penny who promptly forwarded it on to Barry Webb and Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds for their thoughts on an ID. Both agreed on this name though it has not been checked microscopically, but Barry comments that he's been finding this species a lot lately and Phil's photo is spot on for what it looks like when immature before it colours up. See previous Finds entries for more mature specimens. Previous finds
	February 8th Didymium squamulosum (a common slime mould with no English name) In Ragpits Reserve Phil Townsend noticed these tiny bobbles on a fallen leaf, thought it was a slime mould and sent his photo to Penny who promptly forwarded it on to Barry Webb and Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds for their thoughts on an ID. Both agreed on this name though it has not been checked microscopically but is one of the commonest in this large genus and favours dead leaves in damp conditions - perfect at the moment! Previous finds
	February 8th Encoelia furfuracea (Spring Hazelcup) In Rushbeds Wood Phil Townsend found this small cup fungus on a mossy Hazel branch, one which likes to fruit at this time of year. Rushbeds Wood abounds with Hazel and interestingly our first Finds photo of this species was Joanna Dodsworth's from this same site almost to the day in February back in 2021 Previous finds

February 7th 2026

February 7th Meripilus sanguinolentus (Bleeding Porecrust)

In Cockshall Wood nr Naphill Sarah Ebdon spotting some small patches of a white to cream porous corticioid on fallen Pine, then on closer inspection she noticed that it was bruising reddish brown in places. On testing this out with her finger it immediately responded with reddening, confirming her suspicions that this was the aptly named Bleeding Porecrust. (Please note the recent genus name change here from Physisporinus to Meripilus.) Corticioid species with pores - of which there are plenty - are often tricky to identify, so on finding one it is always worth giving it a press just to check if it reddens in this way thus allowing a quick field ID. The species is quite common but often overlooked, and can occur on many different types of fallen wood, both deciduous and coniferous.

New find

February 6th 2026

February 6th Entoloma hirtipes (Graceful Pinkgill)

In Gerrards Cross Jesper Launder was pleased to find some fresh mushrooms fruiting, no doubt encouraged by the copious recent rains. This particular Pinkgill can apparently often appear in spring as well as in late autumn and has a distinctive mealy farinaceous smell with a cod-liver-oil component similar to that of Macrocystidia cucumis (Cucumber Cap). Jesper comments that this smell was very noticeable once the collection had been contained overnight, and this helped to confirm his ID as the caps were a less conical shape than usual for the species - see previous entries for comparison.

Previous finds

February 6th Galerina graminea (Turf Bell)

In Gerrards Cross in a grassy verge Jesper Launder spotted this little group and recognised not only the genus but also the species, this being quite a common species of Bell with which he is familiar though he's not come across it for quite some time. It is a new entry for Finds though this in itself is not an indication of rarity but more likely evidence that few of us spend time studying this tricky genus - one which is not that hard to name to genus but having many species which appear almost identical and microscopic characters which are not always easy to interpret.

New find

February 2nd 2026

	February 2nd Marasmius hudsonii (Holly Parachute) Sarah Ebdon reports that this stunning little mushroom - rare in this area until recent years - is now really thriving at Naphill Common in the present somewhat damp conditions and seems to be present under 'every other Holly bush' (her words) including her garden hedge! The photos here were taken both from her garden and on the Common, with photos 1 and 2 showing just how unbelievably tiny they are compared to her finger and the Holly leaf prickle. So it's worth going out now and braving the knees under any Holly bush to see if you can spot it, but you'll need a x10 handlens to appreciate those amazing red spines! Previous finds
	February 2nd Exidia thuretiana (White Brain) In Prestwood Churchyard Sarah Ebdon noticed a deciduous stick with some blobs of an opaque milky white jelly fungus which on close inspection she felt fairly sure was not the common Myxarium nucleatum (Crystal Brain) because it appeared to lack evidence of the tiny white core (or nucleus) which characterises that species though is not always easy to spot. This was born out at home later when she was able to make a comparison between these two very similar species, having by chance come across and collected a sample of the Myxarium elsewhere today. Not only does the Exidia have notably larger spores but in the field it lacks the solid white central core of that species. (See also her entry for Myxarium nucleatum also having today's date. Previous finds
	February 2nd Myxarium nucleatum (Crystal Brain) In Gt Cookshall Wood nr Naphill, Sarah Ebdon found a stick with nice examples of this common jelly fungus which she was then able to compare with the very similar Exidia thuretiana (White Brain) which by chance she'd just found in Prestwood Churchyard. The Myxarium was until quite recently also included in genus Exidia and both species are basically white lumps of jelly occurring on deciduous fallen wood and very easy to confuse. There is a difference in spore size between the two, but in the field to separate them the feature to look out for (though not always showing clearly) is the tiny white central 'inclusion' (a tiny white lump) within the gelatinous mass, and in photo 4 Sarah has actually managed to extract one of these (in this case shaped like a dumbbell) using a dissecting scope - this feature is missing from E. thuretiana but present in M. nucleata (presumably the Latin epithet here indicating the presence of a visible 'nucleus'. Previous finds
	February 2nd Hohenbuehelia grisea (Grey Oyster) Sarah Ebdon has been keeping her eye on a particular dead standing trunk in Naphill Common where she'd previously found this very rare and special Oyster (see Finds Nov 19th, 2023), and was therefore pleased to notice it making an appearance there several weeks ago. She's been waiting for it to develop further before taking today's photos and then making a thorough microscopic examination - it having been previously identified from this spot with sequencing - thus providing a good opportunity to get to grips with the diagnostic differences between this species and the very similar H. mastrucata and H. atrocaerulea, both considered rare but not as exceptionally so as H. grisea. Studying the Funga Nordica key she realised that the grey colour described therein was not a useful difference because she found both today's specimens and those of 2023 not particularly grey. Likewise, the gelatinous layer described (and showing well in her photo 4) appeared to indicate H. mastrucata as in all her collections to date it was significantly thicker than described in the other two species. She concluded, however, that studying in detail the measurement of the metuloid cystidia (characteristic of the genus as a whole) provided the best clue to separating H. grisea: though a number of these cells clearly overlapped in size with the other two species a good number were notably bigger and thicker walled, thus eliminating them. Good work, Sarah! Previous finds
	February 2nd Mycena tenerrima (Frosty Bonnet) In Naphill Common Sarah Ebdon spotted these tiny white mushrooms on a piece of fallen deciduous wood and though pretty sure of their ID she couldn't resist the opportunity to view the very distinctive cystidia found on the gill edge of this species which help to separate it from other similar tiny white Bonnets. (See photo 3 which shows quite how tiny the are.) She aptly describes these cells as 'bellows-like', having swollen rounded bellies half covered in spiky 'brushcells' (as do many in this genus) but what is unique is their extending long protuberance at the tip, indeed just like old-fashioned bellows! In the field, look for the tell-tale combination of dusty frosting covering both cap and stem together with the small swollen disc at the stem base. Previous finds

January 29th 2026

Heteroradulum deglubens by Jesper Launder

January 29th Heteroradulum deglubens (Blushing Crust)

In Jordans Village Jesper Launder came across a nice fresh example of this corticioid species on some fallen indeterminate wood and, though his camera failed to pick it up successfully, he noticed the pink flush which gradually developed and is a useful field character, helping to confirm his determination. We have very few county records though this is not a rare species.

New find

January 28th 2026

January 28th Phaeotremella frondosa (Leafy Brain)

In Burnham Beeches Gill Ferguson came across this large frilly seaweed-like gelatinous fungus and sent her photo to Penny who recognised it as what we have previously named Tremella foliacea. Checking her facts with Sarah Ebdon, she recalled that recently not only has the genus name changed but as DNA revealed it as a species complex, it has now been split with the result that P. foliacea is now the name for fruit bodies found on fallen conifer and P. frondosa when found on fallen broadleaf wood, most commonly Beech. In fact it is apparently parasitic on the common Stereum hirsutum (Hairy Curtain Crust), often occurring on the wood once the host fungus fruit bodies have disappeared, and Gill commented that she'd noticed this host further along the branch today. So though this is a new record for the county under its present name, there can be little doubt that most if not all of our records for Tremella foliacea are in fact this species.

Previous finds

January 27th 2026

Dissingia leucomelaena by Jesper Launder

January 27th Dissingia leucomelaena (a rarely recorded Saddle with no English name)

In Gerrards Cross Jesper Launder investigated a spot under Pine where he'd previously found this rare species several times in Spring, and there it was again. Previously in genus Helvella (though looking more akin to maybe Peziza) this is the earliest date he's found it here. See the notes on previous finds for more information about the species.

Previous finds

January 27th Balsamia vulgaris (Common Truffle)

In Gerrards Cross Jesper Launder visited a spot he knows for a springtime Helvella species (which he successfully located), but whilst there he also noticed a large 'dig hole with truffly scraps in it' - his words - and on further investigation found a large in-tact knobbly truffle. It had a strong aroma of garlic which suggested B. vulgaris and his ID was then confirmed with microscopy later. What was particularly interesting was that the only possible host tree was 2-needle Pine which is not a known host for this species, known to associate with Beech, Hazel or possibly Larch, though Jesper has also found it under Spruce. There are only a dozen or so records for this species on FRDBI, four of these being Jesper's from Bucks.

Previous finds

January 26th 2026

January 26th Geastrum britannicum (Vaulted Earthstar)

Two years ago at this time Derek Bourne found a collection of Earthstars on a quiet roadside bank in Bourne End which were eventually identified as this rare species first described about 10 years ago. Returning to the same spot today he found them again though rather the worse for wear, presumably as a result of weathering. See the detailed comments for the previous Finds collection for more information.

Previous finds

January 12th 2026

January 12th Tulostoma brumale (Winter Stalkball)

Jesper Launder went looking for this species on a mossy bank in the carpark of a Gerrards Cross hotel where he'd found it new to the county in November '23', though having failed to find it there last year. He was rewarded with perhaps 10 fruitbodies though not in great condition, the best of which is seen here. These are tiny puffballs on a stalk, less than 1 cm across with the stalk up to about 2.5 cms tall, with a preference for sandy calcareous soil and most commonly found in coastal dunes. As will be ascertained from our other two Finds entries, we now have two county sites where it's been found.

Previous finds

January 12th Flammulina velutipes (Velvet Shank)

Tony Knight noticed this attractive fresh clump on an old Ash log in Chilton village. This is a species at home in wintry conditions and quite happy with snow and ice, so it's no surprise that our many other Finds entries have similar dates to this collection. Another to keep a look out for, with its brightly coloured caps and dark finely furry stems.

Previous finds

January 10th 2026

January 10th Exidiopsis effusa (Hair Ice Crust)

Claire Williams is becoming a dab hand at locating this beautiful and interesting species, though today's photos come from Downley Wood where she's not seen it before. Mid January seems to be the peak time for it to appear, when suitably moist and frosty conditions trigger this remarkable mutation to occur. See previous comments for further information. If we get another really cold spell then this is well worth looking out for on fallen wood.

Previous finds

January 4th 2026

Just in December 31st	Hypholoma capnoides (Conifer Tuft) Click here
Update December 25th	Chrysomphalina grossula (Green Navel) Click here
Just in December 14th	Craterium minutum (a slime mould with no English name) Click here
	January 4th Craterellus tubaeformis (Trumpet Chanterelle) Our first find for 2026! Justin Long found these fruitbodies in Apsley Woods nr Milton Keynes, easily recognisable despite being completely frozen solid! The genus name may surprise a few here as this was previously in Cantharellus; it has also had several different English names including Yellowlegs (very apt) and Winter Chanterelle (also in this case apt) though it is certainly not restricted to fruiting at this time and is often to be found in good numbers during the autumn months. This is a mushroom which, if you come across one, there are nearly always more close by though they're usually surprisingly hard to see and you need to 'get your eye in' as the saying goes! Surprisingly, our previous Finds entry appears to be from 2023 because this is not a rarity. Previous finds

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS TO MEMBERS' FINDS

• Only BFG members may contribute; collections must be from Buckinghamshire.

• Please send images as an attachment and not embedded into the email text.

• NB! All photos should be accurately captioned before attaching. Please replace your camera code number with fungus name (a suggestion is fine), site, date, your initials. EG Amanita muscaria Penn Wood 01.10.2025 PC1.

• Aim to show all aspects of the fruitbody, include several photos if available.

• 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.

VIEWING TIPS

• Click on thumbnail to view photos at full size.

• Only entries marked with this symbol have been microscopically examined.

• DNA Entries marked with this symbol have been confirmed or identified using DNA sequencing.

• In the Latest Finds Entries the date on the left outside the text boxes is the date of entry into Members Finds; the date within each text box before the species name is the date of collection.

• At the bottom of each entry, clicking on Previous finds, New find or Updated find takes you to the appropriate entry in the Masterlist Index.

• The quickest way to search for any species is by clicking on the LATIN MASTERLIST INDEX, which now automatically groups all entries for any one species together for convenient comparison.

HOW MEMBERS' FINDS STARTED

Members' Finds was launched in 2020 after the onset of Covid 19 to compensate for the cancellation of the group's outdoor activities during lockdown, its purpose being to encourage members to go out looking for fungi and share their photos here. It proved so popular, especially to those new to learning about fungi, that after lockdown we decided to extend and refine the scheme, using it for members' collections made within the county but separate from those recorded on our Walks - already covered in the reports (available on the Reports & Lists page).

Five years on we now have over 1200 species illustrated, many of which have several images and are not included in popular handbooks, making this an extremely useful resource. Over 50 members have now contributed, adding many rarities including species new to the county and to the UK.

Following the success of this project, for the summer of 2025 we have updated the general layout, making browsing easier and information more readily at your fingertips. For the more common species for which we had amassed multiple images we're now including the latest images sent in but selectively reducing the total number of entries to ten, thus still giving a wide range of examples of a species - such a beneficial resource. We hope this will not discourage members from sending in such species; common or rare: all are still welcome!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Contributors / Photographers: Andrew Dodd; Andrew Padmore; Andy Coulson-Phillips; Ann Pitwell; Annette Powell; Audrey McDade; Barry Knight; Barry Webb FRPS; Bob Simpson; Caroline Lawrence; Chris Grimbly; Claudi Soler; Claire Williams; Derek Bourne; Derek Schafer; Eleanor Page; Gill Ferguson; Greg Douglas; Helen Read; Jackie Ewan; Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds; Jackie Newcombe; Jesper Launder; Jim Wills; Joanna Dodsworth; John Catterson; Jordy Payne; Justin Long; Justin Warhurst; Kerry Robinson; Laura Paterson; Leigh McMahon; Lesley Catterson; Linda Seward; Lisa Dodd; Lisa Rock; Mario Tortelli; Mark Harper; Mark Harris; Matt Vaughan; Mick Jones; Neil Fletcher; Noel Murray; Paul Allan; Paul Cullington; Paul Goby; Penny Cullington; Peter Davis; Phil Townsend; Piermario Maculan; Richard Donnelly; Richard Wright; Rob Corran; Russell Ness; Sarah Ebdon; Stephen Plummer; Stuart Blackhirst; Toni Standing; Tony Marshall; Tony Knight; Trish Glenn; Wendy Nicholson

DISCLAIMER

There is no guarantee on the reliability of identifications made, particularly on those entries lacking the microscope symbol . All photos are checked and selected by Penny to the best of her mycological ability. Basic accompanying notes are also Penny's.