Melchet Court
Sun 14 Apr 2013
Sarcoscypha austriaca
Photo © Paul Hugill
Field event ID HF1302
OS Grid areas: SU2622
Weather: Cool with sunny spells.
Report: This was the first foray of the year, and a new site for most of the forayers, located on the extreme western Hampshire county boundary. It proved to be an elusive site for those who scorn such things as written directions and instead rely on grid coordinates and GPS, which in this instance led a merry dance down almost impassable farm tracks to a dead end at a gate into a field. The site itself has an interesting history, with the original woodlands mentioned in the Domesday Book, though most if not all of the woodlands today were probably planted during the Baring's ownership in the late 19th century. For those interested in such things, the details can be found at British History Online. The present-day woodlands comprise a wide variety of mature trees and undergrowth in undulating terrain which is damp in the lower areas by the stream. The finds on this foray were limited as one would expect for early spring. We did not find any of the classic spring fungi but there was a profusion of Sarcoscypha austriaca in the damp areas to keep the photographers happy, a single Polyporus brumalis, Nectria pinea on a cedar cone, some Tubaria furfuracea, and a few resupinates of which the most interesting turned out to be Tubulicrinis subulatus, only the tenth recorded find for Hampshire.
Species list: Amylostereum laevigatum, Auricularia auricula-judae, Bjerkandera adusta, Daedaleopsis confragosa, Daldinia concentrica, Exidia glandulosa, Ganoderma australe, Hyphodontia sambuci, Hypoxylon fragiforme, Lachnum niveum, Lentinus brumalis, Lycoperdon pyriforme, Nectria pinea, Panellus stipticus, Phanerochaete velutina, Pleurotus ostreatus, Sarcoscypha austriaca var. austriaca, Schizopora paradoxa, Stereum hirsutum, Trametes gibbosa, Trametes versicolor, Tremella foliacea, Tubaria furfuracea, Tubulicrinis subulatus