Ards forest

I always visit Ards forest at least once during the fungal season, and Sunday promised a few dry hours, so off I went. Despite the recent rain, there didn't appear to be a great many specimens, but I did find a decent range of singletons.

Tricholomopsis rutilans is one of the few fungi that were traditionally allocated a common name: Plums and Custard.

Tricholomopsis rutilans - Plums and Custard

I have often mused about the reason for some species having common names, whilst the vast majority do not. All species have a double-barrelled 'formal name', but I suppose that common names were allocated to species that were:

• a) easily recognisable
• b) important for one reason or another (I'm thinking edibility or toxins or medicines here)

I should point out that there was an exercise undertaken a few years ago to allocate a common name to hundreds of fungi. The idea behind this is that the formal binominal is usually Latin or Greek in origin, and is therefore seen to be 'unfriendly' or 'daunting' or 'offputting'.  Having learned all the formal names, I won't be re-learning the new ones.

The Russula family of mushrooms is readily identified by the brightly-coloured cap and chalk-white stipe (stem). Many species of this family (and others!) require chemical analysis or microscopic analysis or odour or 'percentage peelability of the cap' for confirmation of the identity, so I'll preface any identifications as tentative for now. Spore prints are under preparation. (I'm currently waiting for Geoff Kibby's new monograph on Russulas to arrive in the post, so I'll update identifications as required).

Russula ochroleuca is very common in Ards, being found under conifers and broad-leaf trees: 

Russula ochroleuca

This specimen was also found under conifers:

The blackish centre and very peelable cap are leading me towards Russula fragilis:

Russula cf. fragilis

This specimen has buff/yellow gills, and was again found under a conifer:

Russula cf. erythropus

The gills are joined at their base by cross-veins and the cap peeled perhaps 10%, so this is pointing towards Russula erythropus.

Mycenas are very delicate little fungi, often found growing in moss:

Mycena in Dicranum majus moss

It's always good to see Chanterelles. Sadly, I only found one:

Chanterelle - Cantharellus cibarius

The underside of Chanterelles has thick, forked ridges, rather than gills:

Chanterelle underside

I also found a couple of Hedgehog mushrooms:

Hedgehog mushroom

The underside of Hedgehog has spines, just one of the many techniques that fungi use to increase the spore-producing area:

Underside of Hedgehog mushroom, showing spines

Last year, I tentatively identified these as Cortinarius semisanguineus:

Cortinarius cf. semisanguineus

Nobody has disagreed so far.....

I found a single specimen of Phellodon melaleucus in its usual spot:

Phellodon melaleucus

It's a very rare mushroom smelling strongly of fenugreek when dry.

I found a few specimens of Wood Sorrel in a very dark and damp part of the forest that had been infected with the rather scarce Mycosphaerella depazeiformis.

Mycosphaerella depazeiformis on Wood Sorrel

I looked up the records for Mycosphaerella depazeiformis and found that there are only 6 previous records in BI. Three are from Ireland, the most recent in 1936 in Cork. It's very noticeable, so I think it's actually rather scarce, rather than just under-recorded.

More (non-fungal) items from Ards in the next post.

Drumboe fungi

Drumboe is that rarest of things...an urban ancient woodland. Native trees 200 years old rub shoulders with introduced species of all kinds on the banks of the river Finn a mere 100 metres away from a bustling town centre. It's a little more 'managed' than I'd like, but it's still a wonderful place to visit for fungi at this time of year.

This young Fly Agaric - Amanita muscaria - has only just surfaced, and already it has been nibbled:


The remains of a Stinkhorn - Phallus impudicus - after the dark brown spore mass has been removed by flies:


An Earthball - Scleroderma citrinum:


Mycena pura, which smells 'raphanoid' - strongly of raw potatoes or radishes:


A single specimen of Chanterelle - Cantharellus cibarius - was confirmed immediately by the appearance of the thick, forked, gills:

Sadly, a single specimen isn't enough to eat, but the perfume now lingers in my study.

At first I thought these might be Jelly Baby - Leotia lubrica - but the stipe is wide and creamy-opaque (see top specimen). So they will go down as Cortinarius sp.


A batch of Honey Fungus - Armillaria mellea - suggests buried dead wood at this spot.