A very well attended Fungi Foray was held at Pennytown Ponds on Sunday 30th October. Despite the forecast of heavy rain and with light rain falling at the meeting time of 10am, a total of 10 adults, 6 children and 2 dogs turned up for the event. The weather quickly improved and the sun was shining on us by the end of the foray at 12.15pm.

The damp conditions on the previous days had led to a very good display of fungi and the foraging talents of the group, particularly the children led to 38 different species being discovered and identified, including Common and Fairy Inkcaps, Wood Blewitt, King Alfred Cakes, Common Puffball and Poison Pie, (which is not advisable to eat).

The foray was led by Beverley Rhodes, whose knowledge and enthusiasm about fungi helped to make the event very enjoyable for all. She provided baskets for specimens to be collected and magnifying glasses so that everyone could get a close look at the fungi, some of which was very small.

All in all a very good event, really enjoyed by the hardy souls who defined the forecast and turned out and spent a very enjoyable and informative morning at this excellent local Nature Reserve.


The site provided a mixture of habitats including beech woodland, dead wood, elm, grassland and scrub providing a range of different types of fungi. Keen-eyed participants picked up a full list with 38 species. Star finds were the very large Lilac Bonnet, the Toads Ear and the tiny tiny gilled black Resupinatus sp and a Tiger Slug! Well done.

Auricularia auricular-judae  Jelly Ear:  on elder and other dead wood
Basidioradulum radula  Toothed Crust: resupinate white smudge on wood
Bolbitus reticulates  : slimy, lilac cap and white stem on buried wood.
Boletus chrysenteron  Red cracked Boletus: mycchorizal with trees
Calocera cornea  Small Stagshorn: tiny yellow fingers on wood
Clitocybe nebularis  Clouded Agaric: Grey cap with white decurrent gills
Collybia dryophila  Russet Tough Shank: woodland floor, red stem
Coniophora puteana  Wet rot:  White crust on dead wet wood
Conocybe subovalis :ginger spores in short grass 
Conocybe tenera: slimy cap and ginger gills
Coprinus atrementarius  Common Inkcap: young cap appearing
Coprinus disseminatus  Fairy Inkcap: large groups of caps
Coprinus impatiens  Inkcap: Brown cap inkcap
Crepidotus variabilis  Variable Osterling: white, small, fan-shaped
Dacrymyces stillatus  Common Jelly Spot: clear and orange blobs, deadwood 
Daldinea concentrica  King Alfred cakes:  hard, black lumps

Diatrype disciformis Beech Barkspot: on beech bark of dead wood
Ganoderma applanatus Artist’s Fungus: on beech
Hebeloma crustulineforme Poison Pie: slimy brown and speckled gills
Hygrocybe virginea Snowy Waxcap: grassland species
Lepista nuda Wood Blewit: Small, purple gills
Lycoperdon perlatum Common puffball: on woodland floor
Mycena acicula Orange Bonnet: very small in moss
Mycena galericulata Common Bonnet: brown cap and white gills on wood
Mycena pura Lilac Bonnet: in beech woodland associated with a Wych Elm
Mycena rorida Dripping Bonnet: tiny white cap and stem
Mycena vitilis Snapping bonnet: brown and white gills
Nectria cinnabarina Coral Spot: Orange hard dots on dead wood

Otidea bufonia Toad Ear: brown, folded cup fungus at base of hawthorn
Paneolus cinctulus Bell shaped mottle-gill: mottled brown gills
Pleuteus cervinus Deer Sheild: attached to buried wood, will pink spore
Psathyrella microrhiza Rootlet Brittlestem: very long root in sawdust of a tree
Resupinatus applicatus : gilled, black, tiny bracket on bark, very unusual sps
Rhytisma acerinum Tar spot: on sycamore leaves
Stereum hirsutum Hairy Curtain Crust: common dead wood
Stropharia aeruginosa Verdegris Agaric: green, slimy cap and stem in grass
Trametes versicolor Turkey Tail: on dead wood
Tremella mesenterica yellow Brain fungus: yellow jelly on dead wood