This was our second Fungal Foray with Steve Joul this October: our Foray on the 5th October was so overbooked that we hardly needed to advertise this one!
We met at 1.45 pm in the Village Green carpark where our Chair welcomed our participants, introduced Steve, and explained that this was not a foraging event for edible fungi, but an opportunity to learn about the many and varied fungi to be found in Adel Woods.
After the Chair’s introduction, Steve led us along Crag Lane into the woods and, after passing the bungalow, into Alwoodley Plantation.
Once in the plantation, Steve explained that what we think of as fungi and mushrooms are in fact the fruiting bodies of organisms whose main body is concealed in the soil or wood in which they are growing.
There are many thousands of different fungi and mushrooms in the UK which means that it is impossible to know the names of all of them. However, Steve has a list of the two hundred or so most common species which we are likely to find in Adel Woods.
He explained that Identifying fungi involves taking into account such factors as:
- where the fungus is growing – for example on or nearby a particular species of tree;
- its shape, colour, size, and smell;
- how it scatters its spores, the reproductive cells: for example, some drop spores, and some shoot them out!
In some cases it is only possible to identify a fungus with the aid of a magnifying glass or a microscope and a text book. Correct identification is essential because most fungi are inedible and many are poisonous.
The task of identifying fungi is made more difficult because there is often more than one common name for a species and their Latin names can change as species are re-classified as more is learned about them. Impressively, Steve knows the common names and the Latin names of most of the common species.
He explained that some fungi have a special relationship with particular species of trees whereby the fungus provides nutrients to the roots of the tree and the tree provides nutrients to the fungus.
After Steve’s introduction we made our way further into the Plantation searching for fungi on logs, trees, and in the leaf litter. Fortunately we had some very good fungi hunters in our group, especially among the future adults, and during the course of the afternoon, we found forty one species of fungus, many of which Steve collected in his basket. You can find a complete list of the species, giving common English and formal Latin names, at the end of this post.
A selection of the fungi found during today’s foray
Here are photographs of some of the fungi we found this afternoon…
A list of the forty one species found during this afternoon’s foray
- Amethyst Deceiver Laccaria amethystina
- Bay Bolete Imleria badia
- Beech Woodwart Hypoxylon fragiforme
- Beech Milkcap Lactarius blennius
- Birch Milkcap Lactarius tabidus
- Birch Polypore Fomitopsis betulina
- Birch Woodwart Jackrogersella multiformis
- Black Bulgar Neobulgaria pura
- Blusher Amanita rubescens
- Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa
- Branching Oyster Pleurotus cornucopiae
- Brown Rollrim Paxillus involutus
- Butter Cap Collybia butyracea
- Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon
- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus
- Clustered Bonnet Mycena inclinata
- Clustered Toughshank Gymnopus confluens
- Common Bonnet Mycena galericulata
- Deer Shield Pluteus cervinus
- False Chanterelle Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
- Goldleaf Shield Pluteus romellii
- Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae
- Leafy Brain Tremella foliacea
- Mild Milkcap Lactarius subdulcis
- Oakbug Milkcap Lactarius quietus
- Ochre Brittlegill Russula ochroleuca
- Peppery Milkcap Lactarius piperatus
- Poisonpie Hebeloma crustuliniforme
- Purple Brittlegill Russula atropurpurea
- Red Cracking Bolete Xerocomellus chrysenteron
- Rufous Milkcap Lactarius rufus
- Shaggy scalycap Pholiota squarrosa
- Smoky Bracket Bjerkandera adusta
- Southern Bracket Ganoderma adspersum
- Spectacular Rustgill Gymnopilus junonius
- Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare
- Tawny Grisette Amanita fulva
- Tripe Fungus Auricularia mesenterica
- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor
- Ugly Milkcap Lactarius turpis
- Yellow Stagshorn Calocera viscosa
Join Friends of Adel Woods!
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our activities and would be delighted if you would like to join us.
Friends of Adel Woods were formed in 2009 to help maintain Adel Woods and encourage people to enjoy them. We meet one weekend morning a month to carry out various jobs or ”work parties”, and we also put on educational events such as bat walks, fungal forays and birdsong walks.
We are a very friendly group and welcome new members who want to help preserve our special woods, enjoy fresh air and exercise in the woods, and make new friends.
If you would like to take part in our activities, keep an eye on our Home Page. You don’t need to book to come along to one of our work “parties”: just come along.
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Friends of Adel Woods 