Morels at Oxwich

I'd been told that morels, one of the few fungi that appear in spring were out at Oxwich. I've never seen morels so a trip was necessary. I didn't find many but they are out in numbers and I did find a few which was satisfying enough.

Morels belong to a division of the fungi world called 'ascomycetes'. Unlike mushrooms that drop spores from gills or tubes (basidiomycetes), ascomycetes shoot spores away from their outer surface. This outer surface is covered in sacks, called asci which contain the spores.

When they are ripe and the mushroom is touched or blown by the wind they expel their spores in a way that resembles a fine puff of smoke. Changes in temperature can also cause the expulsion, something I've witnessed in a different member of the ascomycetes; Helvella crispa/White Saddle.


Below is Morchella esculenta/Morel

Other ascomycetes include Helvella/Saddles and Plicaria /Cup fungi..  Below is Plicaria endocarpoides found at Kilvey Hill.

Helvella crispa/White saddle. The slight resemblance to morels can be seen.

Morels are very easy to identify due to their irregular, honeycombed cap that's ridged and interwoven. The cap is fused to the stem which also irregular. The whole mushroom is hollow. They can be quite large too, reaching up to 20cms in height and generally tend to be solitary however they can be found in small groups.
They are associated with calcereous (chalky) soils yet they can also be found in open deciduous woodland and waste ground. The examples below were found in sandy scrub at Oxwich.

Morels are excellent edible mushrooms but they must be cooked. Eaten raw they can cause stomach upsets.

I also came across some young Hypoxylon fragiforme/Beech Woodwart. At this young stage they are a salmon pink colour.

At Oxwich

At Lake Pluck.

On the 8th of February I went for a quick look for fungi down at Lake Pluck. Most of what I found was on two very large sections of cut tree trunks. Other highlights were teenagers smashing up a burnt out car and shopping trolleys taking a dip in the water..Nevertheless Lake Pluck is rich in fungi and last year revealed some great finds. Hopefullly it will be the same this year.

On the way to the Pluck there were two things of note; one was a lichenised fungi, Cladonia pyxidata which is common everywhere and the other was Stereum hirsutum/Hairy Curtain Crust, an extremley common species of fungi.  Below is Cladonia pyxidata...

Stereum hirsutum/Hairy Curtain Crust is generally found on living and dead wood of deciduous trees and shrubs; rarely conifers. The upper side of the fungi as the common name describes, is hairy with the underside smooth and bumpy.

Sadly, the Pluck is a fly tippers paradise and the sheer amount of rubbish thrown here is terrible..Inbetween binbags full of clothes and beercans all over the place I came across the remains of a huge beech tree that had been felled and on one large block there were a couple of mushrooms to be found. Below is a common species called a Smoky Bracket. Bjerkandera adusta.

  

The photo below shows the mycelium of an unknown fungus living off the the wood on the underside of bark

 There were two bracket fungi that I could not identify (below). If I could have cut them off the tree I might have done so but for the moment I'll leave them alone.

Also here was Auricularia auricula-judae/Jelly Ear. Very common and widespread. The samples below had dried out somewhat and were slightly brittle and hard. Auricularia auricula-judae/Jelly Ear is not specific with beech but can be found on most deciduous trees.

Another common beech fungi is Hypoxylon fragiforme/Beech Woodwart. They begin life a pinkish colour and slowly redden until they turn reddish brown and finally black. The surface of the fruit body is pimply.

 On my home I came across a tiny 'oysterling' mushroom. It belongs to the Crepidotus family and could be Crepidotus variabilis/Variable Oysterling but I cannot be sure.