Ink Cap (Mycena sp)

Dear Readers, it’s autumn so it must be time to skip around Coldfall Wood and look for fungi. Alas, it’s been extremely dry, so there hasn’t been quite the bumper crop that we’ve seen in previous years, but there was still enough to keep us all interested, including one Red List fungus, a great find!

First up Ink Cap – interestingly, this is considered edible when young, but it becomes poisonous if consumed within a couple of hours of alcohol. In fact, the reaction (sweating, nausea, vertigo) is the basis of some drugs that are given to alcoholics to help them ‘kick the habit’.

Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon piriforme)

These little puffballs weren’t ‘ripe’ yet – when fully developed, they will emit a ‘puff’ of spores when rain falls on them. ‘Lycoperdon‘ means ‘wolf’s fart’. Whoever said that mycologists have no sense of humour?

Honey Fungus (Armillaria sp.)

We found a dead oak with a fine  collection of honey fungus on the stump – many fungi need their hosts to continue to live and thrive, but honey fungus lives on dead plant matter, so it doesn’t need the tree to stay alive.

Spindleshank (Gymnopus fusipes)

Spindleshank is another common parasite of stressed and ageing oak trees.

Trooping Funnel (Infundibulicybe geotropa)

Trooping Funnel is a most attractive, porcelain-white fungus which often grows in rows or as fairy rings. It’s also known as Monk’s Head, probably because of the resemblance to a monk’s tonsure.

Reishi or Lacquered Conk (Ganoderma lucidum)

And look at this shiny fungus – it looks almost as if it’s had a coat of varnish! It’s said to have healing properties in Chinese medicine, and is highly valued as a medicine.But this was probably our most exciting find: this is the Zoned Rosette (Podoscypha multizonata). Over 80% of all Zoned Rosettes are found in Southern England, and London is real hotspot for the fungus, which is Red Listed, and has its own Biodiversity Action Plan. It’s easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for, as you can see from the photo below. The fungus grows on  the roots of oak trees but doesn’t appear to cause any particular damage (and may, indeed, have a mutualistic relationship with the tree).

Zoned Rosette – Photo by By Lukas from London, England – Podoscypha multizonata, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93617761

If you are close to any woodland,  it’s a great time to get out for a walk, guided or otherwise – the leaf colour seems to pop so beautifully against the grey skies.  And the nights are drawing in, so let’s make the most of these autumn days.

Coldfall Wood