Mushrooms, thousands of 'em

Entering Hoe Wood, I noticed a small cluster of mushrooms nestled between the roots of an oak tree up ahead.

As I walked further on I realised, these same mushrooms were... everywhere.

Tight clusters of them pressed up against the oak trees.

In fact most of the oak trees in the wood had mushrooms for company.

I think these are Spindle Toughshank Collybia (Gymnopus) fusipes, a common mushroom which grows at the base of deciduous trees, especially oak.

They grow in tightly fused clusters and the stipe tapers down to the root base. Like a spindle (if anyone knew what a spindle looks like any more).

The Collins (illustrated) Fungi Guide describes the gills as "crowded", while the Collins Complete (photographic) Guide describes them as "very distant". So that's not very helpful. Both books say the gills are rather irregular.


Well, I'd say these are rather irregular. And more distant than crowded.

The time of year is right for Spindle Toughshank Collybia (Gymnopus) fusipes too.

For the record
Date: 18/08/2016
Location: Hoe Wood, Small Dole [private site]
Grid reference: TQ2113 
Entered into FRDBI: 13/02/2017