IBM Hursley
Sat 19 Jun 2010
Field event ID HF1005
OS Grid areas: SU4224 SU4225
Weather: Slightly overcast with some (limited) dampness overnight.
Report: (Eric): Hursley‘s parkland is the home of many species of mycorhizal fungi. However, the limited rains of the previous week were not sufficient to persuade most of them to fruit, with just a couple of specimens (Agaricus arvensis and Amanita fulva) hinting at the richness below ground (and it has to be admitted that mid-June was a little early!). On the other hand, the saprotrophic and parasitic fungi were not so inhibited so the IBM guests were given a tour of a part of the fungal kingdom most had not known existed...
Hursley is not well endowed with rotting wood, but those that were there revealed a range of specimens from mothball-scented (Scytinostoma portentosum) and blue (Edit: it was a Byssocorticium but the species could not be determined) paint, through tiny white (Lachnum virgineum - Snowy Disco) and yellow (Bisporella sulfurina - Lemon disco) cups to hairs growing on beech mast (Xylaria carpophyla - beechmast candlesnuff) and there were examples of the larger “rotters” such as Ganoderma resinaceum, Inonotus dryadeus (Oak Bracket) and Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom). In terms of edibilty, most people went hungry but the Agaricus arvensis was given a decent send off. Let’s hope that a bit more sun and a decent amount of rain will encourage the fruiting of the larger fungi for everyone to enjoy without the benefit of a hand lens. The afternoon was spent in the Osman room admiring the image quality of the group’s new microscope - an SP200 from Brunel Microscopes.
Species list: Amanita fulva, Auricularia auricula-judae, Biscogniauxia nummularia, Bisporella sulfurina, Botryobasidium aureum, Brevicellicium olivascens, Byssomerulius corium, Calocybe gambosa, Daedalea quercina, Daldinia concentrica, Datronia mollis, Diatrypella quercina, Ganoderma resinaceum, Gymnopus fusipes, Hymenochaete rubiginosa, Hyphodontia sambuci, Hypoxylon petriniae, Lachnella alboviolascens, Lachnum virgineum, Marasmius oreades, Peniophora laeta, Peniophora quercina, Perenniporia fraxinea, Phanerochaete sordida, Pleurotus ostreatus, Psathyrella candolleana, Pseudoinonotus dryadeus, Rhopographus filicinus, Rigidoporus ulmarius, Schizopora paradoxa, Scytinostroma portentosum, Skeletocutis nivea, Stemonitis fusca, Stereum hirsutum, Trametes versicolor, Xylaria carpophila