HEALTH WARNING: NEVER EAT FUNGI FOUND IN THE WILD.
Conditions for fungi having improved over the Autumn, Jo Prowse kindly led a small group on a fungal foray around Hebden. We met outside the Old School Tea Room at Hebden in glorious autumn sunshine and walked down through fields towards the river. We were soon rewarded with some great examples of different types of fungi, some in profusion.
Some of the highlights included a large patch of Shaggy Scalycap Pholiota squarrosa under a dying ash tree. We also saw various bracket fungi including Horse’s Hoof Fomes fomentarius and later Dryad’s Saddle Cerioporus squamosus as well as the bracket-like Oysterlings Sarcomyxaceae and Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor. In a wooded area, we spotted a purplish-fungi, Collybia sordida and in the fields by the River Wharfe, we found examples of Meadow Waxcap Cuphophyllus pratensis and a large brittlestem, the Charcoal Burner Russula cyanothnxa.
Some of our finds even stumped Jo – at least temporarily. Having taken samples home and conducted spore prints, she was able to identify a Goldleaf Shield, Pluteus romelli with its yellow cap amongst others.
We had a wonderful morning testing our observation skills and learning some of the basics about how to identify fungi and where to look for them. Thank you Jo for a lovely day.
Report by Jane Welsh. Photographs by Jo Prowse, Richard Ingram and Jane Welsh
Horse’s Hoof Fomes fomentarius
Cerioporus squamosus
Collybia sordida
