Other societies

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OTHER SOCIETIES ROWHILL NATURE RESERVE, SURREY 11 October 1992 The foray was organised by the Rowhill Nature Reserve Society, and took place at the nature reserve which they maintain near Heath End, Farnham. Invitation was extended to members of Weybridge Natural History Society and the BMS and, despite the rather dull, damp day, there was a very good turnout of over 50 forayers. The site is small, about 60 acres, but covers a range of habitats, including deciduous woodland, grassland and wet areas, and is known to support a good variety of fungi. It has been studied for several years and a conservation document is now being finalised, including a management plan and species lists of various groups of organisms. It was un fortunate that, due to recent weather conditions, there were fewer fungi to be found than in most years. Until early October this had proved to be one of the best and most productive seasons for several years. Plenty of rain earlier in the season and warm conditions combined to stimulate fruiting of a great variety of species, some appearing as early as July. However, cool, dry conditions during the past week or so had put an end to the main flush, and most of the species collected were found only in small numbers. The foray was, nevertheless, a useful one. Seventynine species were recorded, including 24 which were additions to the Reserve list, although there were no particular rarities amongst these. New to the Reservewas Hapalopilus nidulens, on its usual substrate, Quercus wood, and various agarics including Clitocybe flaccida, Lactarius subdulcis, Pluteus salicinus and Tricholoma lascivum from the mixed woodland, Naucoria escharoides from under alders, and the grassland wax-cap Hygrocybe nivea. Several microfungi were also new to the list. These included the rust of Vaccinium myrtillus, Pucciniastrum vaccinii, and Cymadothea triiolii, parasitic on leaves of Trifolium repens. Also of interest was a collection of Paecilomyces farinosus growing on buried moth pupae, and comprising comparatively large fruitbodies reminiscent of a member of the Clavariaceae. The Reserve has an excellent new wooden building, which was constructed by the

Council and acts as a headquarters for the Rowhill Society. It houses the ever-expanding library as well as various exhibits, and provided plenty of table space for laying out and identifying the collections after the foray. Tea and biscuits were also available. These provided very welcome refreshment, and, for preparing these, thanks are due to various members of the Rowhill Society. A complete list of the fungi recorded has been sent to the secretary of the Society. Brian Spooner ISLE OF WIGHT NATURAL HISTORY

& ARCHEOWGICAL SOCIETY

A series of forays held during the autumn produced many interesting finds this year. They included Pseudocraterellus sinuosus and a beautiful specimen of Aureoboletus cramesinus, new to the Island, from Parkhurst Forest. Another new find was Hygrocybe coccineocrenata from one of our last surviving Sphagnum bog remnants at Munsley, near Godshill. Oak woodland by Wooton Creek held a striking array of fungi including Clavariadelphus pistillaris, Otidea onotice, O. alutacea and an abundance of Craterelluscornucopioides, which has been prolific in its few recorded Island sites this year. By the time of our main foray, held over the weekend 10/11 October, the peak flush of agarics had passed. Nevertheless, many forayers gathered in bright sunshine outside the imposing Northcourt Manor at Shorwell to explore the splendid gardens and surrounding woodland and downs. The site was visited courtesy of the owner, Mr John Harrison, who kindly allowed us to use the hallway to sort, identify and display the collection. As usual, we were very grateful to Derek Reid and Audrey Thomas for the identification of material. Interesting finds soon started to appear, brought in from locally and from further afield. There was the first Island record for Ganoderma etkinsonii, growing on a yew in the gardens. Leucocoprinus badhamii, Pluteus pearsonii and P. podospileus were collected. Agrocybe praecox was last recorded by Swanton in the 1940s. Ganoderma resinaceum was brought in from Noke Common; Cortinarius uliginosus from a willow carr at Alverstone; and Agaricus haemarrhoidarius and A. porphyrizon from

101 a new nature reserve, Mill Copse at Yarmouth. The following morning was spent at Combley Great Wood, near Havenstreet, which held a fine display of agarics. Asterophora parasitica was unusually abundant here, and elsewhere, on Russula nigricans. Cortinarius varius, Hypholoma capnoides, Pseudocraterellus sinuosus and Otidea onotica were recorded. A quick look at Firestone Copse at the end of the day added Agaricus bitorquis and Melanoleuca cinerascens to the Island list. Over the weekend, more than 200 species were recorded, many species were seen which have been missing in the recent dry autumns and a number of new taxa were added to the Island list. Colin Pope ABINGDON NATURAUSTS' SOCIETY BUCKLAND WARREN, 18 October 1992 I had misgivings about this foray. The very wet and then cold weather had caused many fungi to be well past their best; however, Charles Wellesley and the local farmers allowed us a convenient parking place, 28 people came and the afternoon was fine. The best displays of fungi were fairy rings of Clitocybe nebularis and C. llaccida, close to some big holm oaks near the west of the warren. Both were a bit old and wrinkled, but enough to suggest the size (several yards diameter), complexity and age of the rings. Nearly everything else was overmature and many of our 50 species appeared only in ones or twos. True mushrooms were welcome, the most plentiful being the wood mushroom Agaricus silvicol«, but a horse mushroom and two other species were found Amanitas were scarce and Death Cap has not been found on Buckland Warren forays since 1978, but a small specimen found resembled it in every macroscopic respect except for the absence of a ring. John Kil1ick NORFOLK FORAYS This has been an interesting year, both for the variety of fungi recorded and the increased attendance at the meetings. The most popular foray was held at Santon Downham on 18 October with over 250 forayers taking part. After an introductory talk, the group made for an area in the woodland where 93 species were found. Some recent frost in the area no doubt reduced the number. However, Leucoagaricus leucothites, Paxillus panuoides and Helvella

lacunosa were identified and Cortinarius semisanguineus was very frequent in the collection. Another foray was at Bridgham picnic site on 4 October, when about 50 attended and 158 species were recorded, "includingAmanita solitaria, Gyroporus castaneus and single specimens of Volvariella caesiotincta and Melanophyllum echinatum. Several specimens of Geastrum triplex and G. sessile were also found. Lil and Reg Evans HEREFORDSHIRE BOTANICAL SOCIETY & HEREFORDSHIRE NATURE TRUST The late forays of the Herefordshire Botanical Society and the Herefordshire Nature Trust on 18 and 24 October occurred after the peak of this year's flush. Nevertheless, despite the waning season, Fishpool Valley in the north where the Botanical Society forayed justified the choice of site by producing 112 species amongst which were Helvella macropus, Geoglossum cookeanum, Cantharellus ciberius, Craterellus comucopioides, Hydnum repandum, and its variety, rufescens, and earlier Porphyrellus pseudoscaber, Pseudocraterllus sinuosus and several large and beautiful specimens of Ramaria formosa. The Herefordshire Trust foray in oak and conifer woodland at Haugh Wood in the centre of the country was perhaps more remarkable for the numbers attending (approx 80) than the list of fungi, but amongst which it was pleasing to see Asterophora perssitice, often vainly sought for on old Russulas, and a perfect specimen of Auriscalpium vulgare. Ted Blackwell SOUTHERN RECORDING GROUP THORNTON WOOD AND BLACK HEATH, 24 September 1992 This area of mixed woodland, adjacent to Hardy's "Egdon Heath", is managed by Dorset County Council. Scleroderma citrinum was abundant on the beech banks and several were parasitised by Boletus peresiticus, a rarity in Dorset. Other uncommon records included Collybia distorta and Lactarius hysginus under the conifers and Lactarius cimicarius and Marasmius calopus in the beech litter.

102 POWERSTOCK COMMON, A DORSET TRUST RESERVE, 30 September 1992 Much of this reserve is scheduled as a SSSI and also in part as an ancient woodland some of which has been replaced by conifers. Good finds were Sphaerobolus stellatus, Mycena bulbosa and Macrotyphula juncea; species which are easily overlooked. Some very large Helvella lacunosa were noted, the biggest 120 x 50mm! Amanita submembranacea was seen in a heathy area under conifers. This agaric seems to be widespread in the Southwest. GARSTANG WOOD, A RSPB RESERVE, 30 October 1992 This 84 acre ancient wood, is also a SSSI and is situated on the chalk downs of Cranborne Chase. The early onset of regular frosts and cold winds led to poor collections in October. Pleasing finds were Lycoperdon echinatum and particularly Lycoperdon mammaeforme, both typical of chalk. The best of the day were several specimens of Limacella vinosorubescens, another chalk specialist. ARNE, A RSPB RESERVE, 21 October 1992 This is an impressive reserve with a very diverse range of habitats. The management effort has been tremendous including the successful removal oflarge areas ofrhododendron. Much of the conifer thinnings are being recycled as chippings and Gymnopilus hybridus was common on the older piles. Other typical conifer fungi were Phaeolus schweinitzii, Sparassis crispa and Auriscalpium vulgare. Much remains to be discovered in this reserve and several visits are planned for 1993. John Keylock SALISBURY AND DISTRICT NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY At Church Copse of Houndwood near Farley on 18 October, 86 species were found. including a solitary Geastrum sessile, which we hardly ever see, except up on the MOD land of Porton Down. With it was a small clump of Peziza preetervise, only recorded once before in our area. Hydnum rufescens was abundant, but only one H. repandum. On 25 October,some of us were invited to foray the 40-acre Plantation of Porton Down, where 88 species were found, including lots of both Geastrum sessile and G. quadrifidum. Our last foray was at Ivy Church Copse near Aldenbury on 8 November. This is a difficult wood to foray as it has a very dense ground flora of bramble and few pathways. Never-

theless, my keen-eyed band of forayers found 82 species, scarcely any of them larger than a penny. Several species such as Mycena rosella, Poculum Iirmutn, Hymenoscyphus separabilis and Tremella encephala had not been seen for years. Ted Gange YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION, RICHMOND, 10-14 October After a number of hot summers and dry autumns, long-standing forayers may find themselves murmuring to newcomers that "we haven't had a really good foray for some years now". Well, at Aysgarth Falls on 11 October the YNU had a really good day. There was a list of some 100 larger fungi, including some really interesting ones. A large ring of an unknown sweet-smelling fungus turned out to be Lepista iriae, apparently a new Yorkshire record. There was abundant material of Melanophyllum echinatum, plus a few of the remarkable green-spored M. eyrei, not seen in Yorkshire since before 1935. Good material of Mycena pseudocorticola was also a new county record. Among commoner species, there was a fine collection of Sphaerobolus stellatus - always a nice thing to photograph and to show to newcomers. The rest of this foray was also productive, but our day at Aysgarth Falls was a memory to treasure. Tom Hering BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY Several forays were poorly attended for a variety of reasons, and no one has yet taken up the challenge of the Discomycetes and Myxomycetes to fill the gaps in the lists which have become so obvious since Malcolm Clark died. Non-foray records in the county have been plentiful and varied, but the only exciting finds on forays were in late September and early October. It has been a notable Volvariella speciosa year with masses of fruitbodies over many hectares of recently harvested stubble fields and some freshly cultivated land in various parts of Warwickshire and adjoining counties. The first foray to Alvecote Pools on 14 June gave very poor collecting and nothing worthy of note was found. Ryton Wood on 9 August was also disappointing, the most interesting collections being cowpats which produced a profusion of Coprinus pellucidus, only recorded three times previously and also Pilobolus kleinii, which is a new record.

103 Temple Balsall on 20 September produced several Clitocybe species including Clitocybe flaccida which has been very common this season. Amongst the more colourful species were Cortinarius triumphans, Lepiste nuda and Pluteus xanthophaeus. Sandon Park in Staffordshire on 27 September, well supported by LichfieldWildlifeGroup, produced six new county records, the most interesting being Naucoria luteolofibrillosa and Clavaria fumose, neither of which have been recorded in Warwickshire. The first of two forays of a Birmingham University weekend course led by Peter Roberts on 3 October was very wet making collecting difficult, but one new county record, Botryobasidium denicum, was collected and only the third county record of Hyphoderma praetermissum. Hay Wood on 4 October was much better for collecting and three new species were added to the county list - Botryobasidium candicans, Tulasnella eichleriana and a Syzygospora species growing on the Tulasnella which is probably new to Science. The Royal Engineers Depot at Long Marston falls in Worcestershire and Warwickshire and was visited on 11 October. The collecting was good and, luckily for the Warwickshire Fungus Survey, all the really interesting finds were in Warwickshire. Agaricus purpurellus was only the second county record, Tricholoma imbricatum was the first county record since Bagnall (1891), Sowerbyella radiculata was a new record, but the find which really excited all present was a beautiful collection of Volvariella surrecta growing on Clitocybe nebularis, a species which none of us had previously seen. Sutton Park on 25 October was a dismal day, wet and cold, and collecting was poor, but we did find a handsome stand of Hygrocybe hypothejus under pine. Oversley Wood on 1 November was a well supported foray and produced a reasonable variety of fungi including Baeospora myosura on pine cones, Macrocystidia cucumis and large quantities of Lepista nuda, but the most memorable impression of the foray was of conifer logs covered in masses of small, fresh, violet brackets of Trichaptum (Hirschioporusj abietinum. Bert Brand NORTH LANCASHIRE NATURALISTS (local group of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust) GAIT BARROWS NNR, NEAR SILVERDALE, LANCS, 4 October 1992 After a three-year gap, Gait Harrows was again the Group's foray venue. Meantime, the Reserve had been enlarged by the addition of

Hawes Water with its surrounding woodland and nearby Hawes Water Moss, also Challan Hall Wood with its adjacent grassland. The assembled party of over 30 forayers split into two groups, one to concentrate on the new acquisitions, while the other remained to foray in three areas of limestone woodland on the original site. The pre-foray weather had been cold and wet for several days. Despite a promising start to the season in August, weather conditions had slowly deteriorated, so the combined list of over 140 species seemed quite respectable. However, some genera of fungi were virtually absent. Not a single Inocybe was seen, and there was only one bolete recorded, and of the twentyeight species of Lepiotaceae occuring on the Reserve, only L. cristata and Cystolepiota sistrata put in an appearance. Just one addition was made to the Reserve's 1100 + species list. This was the beautiful littie Ramariopsis crocea, while the highlight of the event for forayers was viewing the intense blue colouration of Terrana (Pulchericiumj caerulea, a species which appears to be uncommon in this locality. Always a delight to those who see it for the first time, the hedgehog puffball, Lycoperdon echinatum, was seen in small numbers. Two other species, recorded only occasionally, were Cortinarius largus and Tricholoma acerbum, while Agaricus porphyrizon, often fairly widespread, was only encountered once. Pat Livermore LEICESTER FUNGUS STUDY GROUP The Group held ten forays this autumn, with 15-20present at each. The month of October produced more than September had done. and the programme was successfully prolonged into November, taking advantage of mild sunny days with fine autumn colours. Our records show that Lactarius and Russula were never abundant, but there was a good late showing of Boletes. We found eight species, including B. erythropus and B. ptuinetus, at Cademan Wood in early November, and were still finding Holetes at Bradgate Park in late November. At Charnwood Lodge, at the end of October, we were excited to find both Rhodotus palmatus and Boletus pulverulentus - the latter certainly a rarity in the Midlands. As for common species, the early season was marked by great abundance of Scleroderma citrinum, while the late season showed very high numbers of Collybia butyracea. Tom Hering