Waxcaps on Fulking Escarpment

 

I had a tip off that yellow waxcaps were showing on Fulking Escarpment yesterday. So I thought I'd head over there and see for myself.

They were the first mushrooms I spotted — strikingly pure yellow with a conical in shape. 

I noticed the fruit bodies showed no signs of blackening — even the older specimens which were weathered and trampled. I think that must make these Persistent Waxcap Hygrocybe acutoconica.

Nearby, a solitary mushroom stood completely blackened. But I think it must be different to the yellow ones: a Blackening Waxcap Hygrocybe conica s.l.

On the other side of the path, I saw more Blackening Waxcap Hygrocybe conica s.l. popping up through the sward.

It's nice to catch them at this stage, when they're all orange and point-looking.

This patch of Toasted Waxcap Cuphophyllus colemannianus was a good find.

An upturned cap provided a good opportunity to check out the intervenose gills.

Looking down on them, you can see the warm brown tones to the cap.

I wondered if this diminutive thing, with a brownish spot at the centre of the cap, might be Cuphophyllus virgineus var. fuscescens.

Here you can see the decurrent gills that are characteristic of Cuphophyllus.

I passed more Blackening Waxcap Hygrocybe conica s.l. as I headed up the slope. These ones had quite tawny tones.

You can see the gills just starting to blacken, where they've been damaged.

Snowy Waxcaps Cuphophyllus virgineus dotted the slope in various places, looking just like fragments of chalk from a distance.

Here's one up close (no scent that I could discern).

I think this is Meadow Coral Clavulinopsis corniculata. 

Yet more Blackening Waxcap Hygrocybe conica s.l. ...

Then, just as the light started to fade and I thought I should be heading home, I came across some more orange waxcaps — with a different look to them. Flatter caps and adnate gills.

I'm thinking Golden Waxcap Hygrocybe chlorophana for these ones?

Oh I found some earthtongues too but I'm not brave enough to attempt ID on those. Especially as today I was just out for a walk & a look — I didn't collect any specimens.

And a couple of Entolomas? 

 

For the record

Date: 14/11/2020

Location: Fulking Escarpment