Old Lodge

Sussex Fungus Group undertook a fungus survey at Sussex Wildlife Trust's Old Lodge nature reserve today, over on the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex. Thought I'd share a few highlights...

Just a few steps into the reserve my eyes fell upon this brown mushroom-shaped thing, growing near birch. It was so ugly-looking I panicked when I got up close and thought I might be about to poke an abandoned dog-chew or an implausibly symmetrical poo...

 ... but when I flipped it over with my pen-knife my first suspicions were confirmed. It was, indeed, a mushroom: an Ugly Milkcap Lactarius turpis. 

Nick persuaded me to acquaint myself with its "very acrid" milk. It's certainly a taste sensation. Not one I'd recommend.

Nearby, at the edge of the grassy track, we came across a patch of Dusky Puffballs Lycoperdon nigrescens. 

They were pretty spiky, but not quite spiky enough to be Spiny Puffball (L. echinatum) was the consensus.

A quick sniff of this orange mushroom was enough to confirm it as Honey Waxcap (Hygrocybe reidii). Such a lovely colour these are:

 

 

Further down the track we encountered a splendid patch of Bicoloured Deceivers Laccaria bicolor. This one had a great sock of lilac mycelium, illustrating nicely how this mushroom got its name. 

Does anyone want to put a name to this bolete? It was noticeably slimy on the cap and strongly blueing on the pore surface but not noticeably blueing in the flesh.

I think we called these ones Bay Bolete Imleria badia. (I'm not very good on boletes, as you can probably tell.)

 

 

These were weird! We came across huge patches of Mycena across the woodland floor. These ones had a strong smell of chlorine and strangely deformed gills. 

When we bumped into Martin Allison later he said he'd seen Mycena capillaripes (which has a strong nitrous smell) with this deformity. Weird, huh? Nick took a collection of these so it will be interesting to hear if he manages to get to the bottom of what's going on here. 

Further along the track we came to an area with some big old beech trees.

... and more not-exactly-gorgeous-looking milkcaps: Beech Milkcap Lactarius blennius. Nick's turn to taste these ones: VERY HOT, like wasabi.

Richard spotted a couple of small Wood Hedgehogs Hydnum repandum, also under the beech trees.

... and Nick got interested in some small brown Inocybe mushrooms.

Moving on, we passed a patch of Spotted Toughshank Rhodocollybia maculata. This is a species I never seem to remember from one foray to the next. But I guess its distinguishing feature is it goes kind of spotty?

Probably a different Laccaria. Will I look at it under the microscope to check the spores? I've got one in the fridge, so I might. Time will tell.

 

 

Another slimy bolete. Those complex pores are making me think Cow Bolete Suillus bovinus?

 

 

Couldn't resist taking a photo of this Petticoat Mottlegill Panaeolus papilionaceus but you can't see its petticoat very well from this angle. You'll just have to take my word for it.

 

 

These little brown mushrooms had a nice surprise under the cap: a dark red edge to the gills. You might just be able to make it out here? Perhaps Mycena sanguinolenta?

A species I always love to see: Lichenomphalia umbellifera.

And then another not-completely-boring mycena: Mycena epipterygia. Nick demonstrated its party-trick, peeling away its gelatinous skin.

Obligatory Yellow Stagshorn Calocera viscosa photo:

 

 

An Earthfan Thelephora terrestris. Nice.

Some pretty but, so far, unidentified mycenas:

"What's this lumpy bracket?" It's a Lumpy Bracket Trametes gibbosa.

And my last photo of the day was of this patch of scurfy-looking mushrooms which I think we thought were a Tubaria but I can't remember if we got an ID on this one as it was getting close to lunchtime. Maybe Felted Twiglet Tubaria conspersa, what do you think?

Great to be back out in Sussex with Sussex Fungus Group! Fantastic site for a foray. 

For the record

Location: Old Lodge nature reserve, East Sussex

Date: 10 October 2021