Whiterock . 03-06-2011

Wandering around white rock I found Paxillus involutus/Brown Rollrim for the first time this year.  Also in a scrubby patch of grass was Agaricus campestris/Field Mushroom. I've never seen that in this location before. Since I first saw it it has been fruiting regularly over the last three weeks but not in great numbers. However it's good to see this area has been colonised.

Grassland by East Bank Way 30-5-11

On the 30th of May, after there had been showers following days of good weather, I found a few mushrooms that are often found in the soil this time of year. Especially after a downpour. The photos  above and below are of Panaeolina foenisecii. As can be seen, the caps and stems are dark reddish brown, this is because they are wet. When they dry, they will be creamy beige.

Also hidden the grass was Parasola plicatilis/ Pleated Inkcap, the photos below show show delicate this particular species is.

Growing in the same place as last year was Marasmius rotula/Collared Parachute. This mushroom is easy to identify by it's pleated cap and unusual stipe attachment to the stem. (See below),

Unknown Mushroom

On the 26th of May I found a large honey coloured mushroom growing in wood chip and bark mulch on Quay Parade Road, by Sainsbury's. (SS 66030 93108).

It was in considerable numbers and fruiting in many stages of maturation.  It completely puzzled me as I found it impossible to work out the family it belongs too. I believe it to be an Agrocybe, specifically Agrocybe putaminum, which is not indigenous.

Since then the weather has been either dry or very wet and this fungi has continuously fruited for the last month..Another wood chip fungi that is fruiting in the same location is Psilocybe cyanascens.

Panaeolus foenisecii/The Lawn Mower's Mushroom

On the east side of Swansea, two bridges connect St Thomas and Port Tennant to the city centre. Between these bridges there's an area of grass where I've found a number of fungi including Melanoleuca, Hygrocybe, Clitocybe, Marasmius and Stropharia.
It's also home to Panaeolus foenisecii; commonly called 'The Lawn Mower's Mushroom' since it has a habit of appearing after lawns have been recently cut back and sure enough, after the council had mown the area  these arrived about four days later and after some very heavy showers over the preceding days.

One of the most useful distinguishing features of this mushroom is that it's hygrophanus, which means its cap  changes colour if it's wet or dry. When the cap is wet it is a dark brown sometimes with flushes of cinnamon and dries to a much light umber/buff colour. The darker patches below show the drying stage with colour change occurring.

The gills are brown and mottled and that mottling is a characteristic of the mushroom.

This mushroom contains a toxin called psilocybin which is a hallucinogenic drug to humans. In this species the toxin occurs in tiny, tiny amounts and does not even occur in every fruitbody but could be dangerous to toddlers.

Early Russula

Since late April I've been finding Russula/Brittlegills in an area in Whiterock. I've been going back regularly to see if anymore have appeared and that my first find was not the one off it could have been. Every week without fail I have found at least one and last week counted six. It's been very difficult to find one in good condition but I did and managed to get a spore print.

The mushroom is Russula puellaris. I used a Russula guide to help me, took a spore print, peeled the cap and ate some too. I don't enjoy the taste of Russula, which can be hot or acrid.. I confirmed it using the mycokey website.

It's quite a small mushroom with a purplish rose cap that turns yellow as the mushroom matures. The entire stem turns yellow and the cap eventually turns brown as a result of yellowing althougth if it rains, the colour at any stage can get even more varied. 

The taste of Russula puellaris is mild, and the spore print is yellow.

In this particular photo you can see the yellowing on the stem.

The photos below are an example of the variability of the cap colour in this species.

The yellow spore print..

Singleton Park & Lake Pluck

Singleton Park

On the off chance that I might find some mushrooms at Singleton Park I thought I'd have a leisurely foray around it. I did find a couple of things, below is Parasola plicatilis/ Pleated Inkcap mushroom.
Unlike the parasols I found a few days ago, these are tiny, about a quarter the size. They are extremely fragile and by the time I got them home they were badly damaged and had already started to go limp. The second photo shows the mushroom at a young age.

There was also this ladybird with more spots than I would normally see. I've seen a lot of ladybirds this year, well more than I can remember seeing over the last few years.

Below is Ganoderma austale (=G. adspersum) /Southern Bracket.. Very common on the dead treetrunks here.

I found this small mushroom in the same place as the parasols. As to what it is I really can't say. I think it's probably an Inocybe but I really cannot be sure. It's one of those little brown toadstools that frustratingly defy identification..

Lake Pluck
On a walk to Lake Pluck I came across some burnt gorse with Daldinia fissa on it. I've seen this before on a previous walk but I hadn't spotted these before. They are related to Daldinia concentrica/Cramp Balls but only live on burnt gorse.

I was surprised to see these small mushrooms in the needle litter. It could  be a few things. At he moment I'm in the process of trying to identify it.

Two brackets that I found. On the left is Daedaleposis confragosa/ Blushing Bracket. It's pore side bruises red very easily hence the common name. As you can see, there is a hole where I pulled out the branch it had grown around. On the right is Polyporus leptocephalus/Blackfoot Polypore. At the base of the stalk there is a strong black mark.

Finally I came across this half eaten Russula. I'll try and get a spore print off it..

Agrocybe erebia/Dark Fieldcap

Last year I was in Milford haven for a few days and went to some places where I know mushrooms are regular. There was one particular mushroom that puzzled me at the time. It had a dark brown, almost black cap and prominant umbo. It was large and fleshy and had veil remnants. The stalk was clearly tapered and darkening towards the base. Its cap was shiny when wet but matt when dry. I thought, given its strong features that it would be easy to identify. It wasn't and I didn't know what it was, until today.

Through sheer luck whilst searching for something else I came across it in a book, then searched online to help my verify it.
It turned out to be Agrocybe erebia/Dark Fieldcap.

The cap is dark and wavy, with a prominant umbo. The stem is thick, fibrous and tapers at the base where the colour gets darker towars the end. It's gills are an umber-brown colour.

It also has a ring that sometimes can be found. When young the veil resembles an opaque white membrane which collapses with the most gentle of touches. Click on the photo below to view the veil better.

below is a phot of  more mature examples. As can be seen the umbo is clearly prominant but the colour of the cap is much more brown.