Yellow brain fungus
Pictures and a message from Clive Knight:
Walking round the reserve today, I saw this bright yellow fungus growing on an old Oak branch. I have no idea what it is. Can anybody help?
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King Alfred’s cakes
Daldinia concentrica: known as King Alfred’s cakes or coal fungus grows on the park’s trees, in this case on a dead ash tree.
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The fruiting bodies of a fungus living in a rotting log, found and photographed after yesterday’s rain by Clive Knight.
As usual, we are unable to identify this fungus and would really welcome the help of an expert.
Sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) growing on dead wood in the copse between Sleepers and Sheep Field.
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King Alfred’s cakes
Daldinia concentrica: known as King Alfred’s cakes or coal fungus grows on the park’s trees, in this case on a dead ash tree.
Read moreAmethyst deceiver
This post was first published last year, an introduction to some of the reserve’s beautiful fungi.
A message with beautiful pictures from photographer Simon Knight:
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Inkcaps
Inkcaps are a group of fungi with gills that liquefy as they mature and drip an inky black liquid that, in the past, was frequently used to make ink.
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Wood Wide Web
Researchers have discovered that the trees in a wood are connected by a network of mycorrhizal fungi that grow around and in their roots, a phenomenon they have called the Wood Wide Web.
Continue readingDead man’s fingers
Message from Tree Officer Rich Murphy:
I’m not sure if the quality of the picture will be much good but I found some dead man’s fingers in the copse in Simpson’ Field – I don’t know if they are on the list for known fungi within the park.
Thank you, Rich; and no, they are not on our list of known fungi in the reserve.
Continue reading “Dead man’s fingers”Oak factoid
There are 2,300 species associated with oak, 320 of which are found only on oaks. Here is a gallery of wildlife photographed in the park’s oaks.
Header picture: Oak Bridge by DKG
Sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) growing on dead wood in the copse between Sleepers and Sheep Field.
Continue readingWood Wide Web
Our trees have internet!
Amethyst deceiver
A message with beautiful pictures from photographer Simon Knight:
Continue reading “Amethyst deceiver”
King Alfred’s cakes
Daldinia concentrica: known as King Alfred’s cakes or coal fungus grows on the park’s trees, in this case on a dead ash tree.
Read moreInonotus hispidus
The shaggy bracket fungus on the ash tree at Fiveways, first reported by Clive Knight and identified for us by our Tree Officer Rich Murphy, has grown HUGE.
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Shaggy parasol
There is a group of shaggy parasols, the fruiting bodies of Chlorophyllum rhacodes, just coming up under the first oak tree as you come through the park’s main gate.
Pictures by Suzanne Humphries
Wood ear (Auricular auricula-judae) found growing on a branch brought down in one of the copses by Storm Ciara.
Tremella
This is either yellow brain fungus (Tremella mesenterica) or witches’ butter (Tremella aurantia); even Wikipedia seems confused about it.
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King Alfred’s cakes
Daldinia concentrica: known as King Alfred’s cakes or coal fungus grows on the park’s trees, in this case on a dead ash tree.
Read more
Fungi
We have been more successful in 2019 at identifying some of the enormous number of fungi that grow in the park. We were able to add five new species to our rather sparse fungi list.
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1.Hypholoma fasciculare Sulphur Tuft
2. Xylaria hypoxylon Candle snuff
3.Trametes hirsuta Hairy bracket fungus
4. Fuligo septica Dog’s vomit slime mould
5. Amanita muscaria Fly Agaric
Header picture – one of the many species we have been unable to identify.
Hairy bracket fungus. . .
. . . trametes hirsuta growing on dead oak in the wood between Kestrel Field and Lambrok Meadow.
Continue readingFuligo septica
. . . . also known, for obvious reasons, as dog vomit slime mould; found in the long grass in Brunts Field.
Sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) growing on dead wood in the copse between Sleepers and Sheep Field.
Continue readingApologies
We were wrong and we apologise; it isn’t Jack o’ Lantern.
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Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 