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BMS spring foray — And Discomycete workshop, 1991, report
46
BMS SPRING FORAY - AND DISCOMYCETE WORKSHOP, 1991, REPORT NEW FOREST, HAMPSHIRE 27 MARCH - 3 APRIL 1991
This was an excellent foray , held in a sunny week following earlier rain. We were based at the Gurney-Dixon Centre at Pennington, where they are more used to in-service teachers, but they had been well briefed on the essential requirements of mycologists, namely a laboratory and coffee, both available 24h a day . They also served a splendid Foray Dinner of New Forest Venison. Ten sites, covering a wide range of forest habitats, were listed in the Foray Programme. On the opening night we were treated to a talk from Colin Tubbs, author of the recent (1986) New Naturalist book on the forest. He described a unique, complex, delicately balanced ecosystem, just about surviving in the face of the manifold encroachments of urban man . Over the week-end Brian Spooner led an introductory workshop on the Discomycetes, with three lectures, some prepared slides for all to examine, and much valuable practical assistance. There were widespread pleas for his lectures to be made the basis of a BMS publication . We were pleased to have with us two Swedish mycologists, Dan Olofsson providing expertise on polypore identification and Mats Elfstrom who gave a short talk on field mycology in Sweden. This was followed by a mouth-watering trailer from Thomas Laessee for the BMS Overseas Foray to Denmark. Tony Whalley conducted the sale of Richard Jennings ' extensive mycological and general natural h istory library. In accordance with his wishes all books were sold at trade price less ten per cent, with lucky winners drawn from a hat in the numerous cases of competition. The result was a most satisfying distribution of good books to good homes. The main innovation was the timing of the foray - two months earlier than usual which turned out to have many advantages. Agarics of course were scarce, but they are hardly the point of a Spring foray. Here it was noticeable that most of the 'Crepidotus variabilis' collected was Clitopilus hobsonii which overwinters better; its ribbed spores show up faintly under the microscope, but quite clearly in books. It was also in general too early for rusts, with the notable exception of a colle ction of Milesina vogesiaca from the Centre grounds, previously known in the
British Isles only from Ireland where its host Poystichum setiferum (soft shield fern) is common. Collecting in other groups, notably Heterobasidiomycetes, clearly benefited from the change to March . Seba cina microbasidia, on alder at Matley Bog, is seemingly known previously from two Danish collections. The Auriculariales were particularly well represented, with four rarely recorded species to add to the usual Jew 's Ear. These were Phleogena faginea, Achroomyces vestitus, A.peniophorae and Saccoblastia farinacea (see figure by Peter Roberts). None conform to the layman's idea of a 'jelly fungus'. Phleogena forms little stalked blobs, typically on dead beech trunks, looking like outsize myxomycetes; it develops a curry smell on drying. The other three are all resupinate, looking corticioid and distinctly unremarkable in the field . Saccoblastia is also new to Britain; Terence Ingold has germinated spores from this collection on agar and demonstrated the existence of an apparently undescribed conidial state. Such finds reflect a long overdue resurgence of interest in British resupinate fungi , undoubtedly fuelled by the completion of 'Corticiaceae of North Europe '. Botryobasidium species, with characteristic broad hyphae and 6- or 8-spored basidia, seemed to be under every log in the forest . Many other 'corticiurns' were recorded. One of the most interesting was ]aapia argillacea, on a pine log at Matley Passage, a rare relative of dry rot, remarkable both for being strictly confined to wet logs in very humid conditions and for its spores. Their protoplasm contracts with age leaving a brown mid-portion separated off by 'retraction septa' from hyaline ends , possibly an adaptation to water dispersal, but if so the mechanism remains obscure. There is only one other British collection at Kew, by Carleton Rea from Weybridge, 1919. Collecting was also very good for myxomycetes, with 64 species recorded, including 12 new vice-county records, Diderma donkii being only the third British record. Another notable find, looking much like a myxomycete, was the minute gasteromycete Mycocalia sphagneti, on a ]uncus leaf and elsewhere on an Hex twig. We were lucky to have with us Terry Palmer, author both of the genus and of
47 this species, to confirm the identifications. He described it in 1963 from the Kinderscout area of Derbyshire, since when it has been recorded only from near Betws-y-Coed and from Sweden. There were plenty enough discomycetes, including Desmazeriella acicola on pine needles in its uncommon perfect state, and the rarely collected 4-spored Ciboria acerina, confined despite its name to the catkins of Myrica gale. Cheilymenia fimicola was common on the New Forest pony dung. The famous fungus on this host is the stromatic pyrenomycete Poronia punctata, formerly common but now very rare in Britain outside the New Forest. It was duly found in two places, but only after a hunt, as it is mainly an autumn fungus. Dung growing Poronia also yielded other unusual species including a possibly undescribed Podospora with massive spores. Our thanks are due to many people. To the Forestry Commission and the Hants and Isle of Wight Naturalists Trust, for permission to collect in the forest and in Roydon Woods SSSI. To the staff of the Gurney-Dixon Centre who did us proud. To Brian Spooner for the workshop and to all the other speakers. To our long-suffering Foray Secretary, Bruce lng, for humping gear to and from the foray, for long hours at the computer, and for a sudden flush of chocolate and marzipan Easter mushrooms. But thanks above all to Ann Leonard, aided by Gordon Dickson for superb but unobtrusive
Soccoblastia farinacea (Hahn) Dank new to Britain. Transversely septate basidium, pro-basadial sac and spores (from collection on Fogus log. King's Hat, New Forest. 2 April 1991).
organisation throughout, not least in the production of such excellent site maps that almost Alick Hemid no one got lost all week.
A NOTE ON MARASMIUS BUXI Marasmius buxi Fr. is very small (to 4 mID cap diam), rarely recorded, but recognised by red-brown caps and being confined to Buxus leaves (B.sempervirens in western Europe, B.balearica in North Africa). A good description (Nordeloos, Persoonia 13: 249, 1987) and colour photograph (Breitenbach & Kranzlin, 1991) have recently become available. It is on the British list thanks to Peter Orton who collected it several times near Box Hill in late autumn. This note documents a further find at Mickleham Downs, Surrey, in early spring after ten years collecting in the area. A Buxus bush had been partially uprooted yet was growing healthily with many branches touching the ground, forming a damp microclimate. Under this grew a troop of about 200 basidiomes on fallen Buxus leaves in mixed litter. A 30 min search under neighbouring bushes proved unsuccessful. The site
was less than 1 Ian from the original find. Mainly hypophyllous, 1-2 mature basidiomes per leaf, but seemingly uninfected leaves carrying up to 10 initials. The spores, from a print, 10-11 (-12) x 3-4 /Lm, proved more uniform than quoted by Noordeloos, and the cheilocystidia more capitate. A few dermatocystidia were present at stem base as well as cap surface. Following a wet June, more was found under the same bush on 27 July 1991 (hot, dry weather), including some on fairly green leaves still attached to a dying twig. Seekers for this fungus are warned: Noordeloos only found his collection after 17 years searching! To maximise your chances look under native Buxus. None of the British, Dutch or Swiss collections have come from planted bushes. Alick Henrici 57 Clarendon Road, London W11 4JD
BMS SPRING FORAY - AND DISCOMYCETE WORKSHOP, 1991, REPORT NEW FOREST, HAMPSHIRE 27 MARCH - 3 APRIL 1991
This was an excellent foray , held in a sunny week following earlier rain. We were based at the Gurney-Dixon Centre at Pennington, where they are more used to in-service teachers, but they had been well briefed on the essential requirements of mycologists, namely a laboratory and coffee, both available 24h a day . They also served a splendid Foray Dinner of New Forest Venison. Ten sites, covering a wide range of forest habitats, were listed in the Foray Programme. On the opening night we were treated to a talk from Colin Tubbs, author of the recent (1986) New Naturalist book on the forest. He described a unique, complex, delicately balanced ecosystem, just about surviving in the face of the manifold encroachments of urban man . Over the week-end Brian Spooner led an introductory workshop on the Discomycetes, with three lectures, some prepared slides for all to examine, and much valuable practical assistance. There were widespread pleas for his lectures to be made the basis of a BMS publication . We were pleased to have with us two Swedish mycologists, Dan Olofsson providing expertise on polypore identification and Mats Elfstrom who gave a short talk on field mycology in Sweden. This was followed by a mouth-watering trailer from Thomas Laessee for the BMS Overseas Foray to Denmark. Tony Whalley conducted the sale of Richard Jennings ' extensive mycological and general natural h istory library. In accordance with his wishes all books were sold at trade price less ten per cent, with lucky winners drawn from a hat in the numerous cases of competition. The result was a most satisfying distribution of good books to good homes. The main innovation was the timing of the foray - two months earlier than usual which turned out to have many advantages. Agarics of course were scarce, but they are hardly the point of a Spring foray. Here it was noticeable that most of the 'Crepidotus variabilis' collected was Clitopilus hobsonii which overwinters better; its ribbed spores show up faintly under the microscope, but quite clearly in books. It was also in general too early for rusts, with the notable exception of a colle ction of Milesina vogesiaca from the Centre grounds, previously known in the
British Isles only from Ireland where its host Poystichum setiferum (soft shield fern) is common. Collecting in other groups, notably Heterobasidiomycetes, clearly benefited from the change to March . Seba cina microbasidia, on alder at Matley Bog, is seemingly known previously from two Danish collections. The Auriculariales were particularly well represented, with four rarely recorded species to add to the usual Jew 's Ear. These were Phleogena faginea, Achroomyces vestitus, A.peniophorae and Saccoblastia farinacea (see figure by Peter Roberts). None conform to the layman's idea of a 'jelly fungus'. Phleogena forms little stalked blobs, typically on dead beech trunks, looking like outsize myxomycetes; it develops a curry smell on drying. The other three are all resupinate, looking corticioid and distinctly unremarkable in the field . Saccoblastia is also new to Britain; Terence Ingold has germinated spores from this collection on agar and demonstrated the existence of an apparently undescribed conidial state. Such finds reflect a long overdue resurgence of interest in British resupinate fungi , undoubtedly fuelled by the completion of 'Corticiaceae of North Europe '. Botryobasidium species, with characteristic broad hyphae and 6- or 8-spored basidia, seemed to be under every log in the forest . Many other 'corticiurns' were recorded. One of the most interesting was ]aapia argillacea, on a pine log at Matley Passage, a rare relative of dry rot, remarkable both for being strictly confined to wet logs in very humid conditions and for its spores. Their protoplasm contracts with age leaving a brown mid-portion separated off by 'retraction septa' from hyaline ends , possibly an adaptation to water dispersal, but if so the mechanism remains obscure. There is only one other British collection at Kew, by Carleton Rea from Weybridge, 1919. Collecting was also very good for myxomycetes, with 64 species recorded, including 12 new vice-county records, Diderma donkii being only the third British record. Another notable find, looking much like a myxomycete, was the minute gasteromycete Mycocalia sphagneti, on a ]uncus leaf and elsewhere on an Hex twig. We were lucky to have with us Terry Palmer, author both of the genus and of
47 this species, to confirm the identifications. He described it in 1963 from the Kinderscout area of Derbyshire, since when it has been recorded only from near Betws-y-Coed and from Sweden. There were plenty enough discomycetes, including Desmazeriella acicola on pine needles in its uncommon perfect state, and the rarely collected 4-spored Ciboria acerina, confined despite its name to the catkins of Myrica gale. Cheilymenia fimicola was common on the New Forest pony dung. The famous fungus on this host is the stromatic pyrenomycete Poronia punctata, formerly common but now very rare in Britain outside the New Forest. It was duly found in two places, but only after a hunt, as it is mainly an autumn fungus. Dung growing Poronia also yielded other unusual species including a possibly undescribed Podospora with massive spores. Our thanks are due to many people. To the Forestry Commission and the Hants and Isle of Wight Naturalists Trust, for permission to collect in the forest and in Roydon Woods SSSI. To the staff of the Gurney-Dixon Centre who did us proud. To Brian Spooner for the workshop and to all the other speakers. To our long-suffering Foray Secretary, Bruce lng, for humping gear to and from the foray, for long hours at the computer, and for a sudden flush of chocolate and marzipan Easter mushrooms. But thanks above all to Ann Leonard, aided by Gordon Dickson for superb but unobtrusive
Soccoblastia farinacea (Hahn) Dank new to Britain. Transversely septate basidium, pro-basadial sac and spores (from collection on Fogus log. King's Hat, New Forest. 2 April 1991).
organisation throughout, not least in the production of such excellent site maps that almost Alick Hemid no one got lost all week.
A NOTE ON MARASMIUS BUXI Marasmius buxi Fr. is very small (to 4 mID cap diam), rarely recorded, but recognised by red-brown caps and being confined to Buxus leaves (B.sempervirens in western Europe, B.balearica in North Africa). A good description (Nordeloos, Persoonia 13: 249, 1987) and colour photograph (Breitenbach & Kranzlin, 1991) have recently become available. It is on the British list thanks to Peter Orton who collected it several times near Box Hill in late autumn. This note documents a further find at Mickleham Downs, Surrey, in early spring after ten years collecting in the area. A Buxus bush had been partially uprooted yet was growing healthily with many branches touching the ground, forming a damp microclimate. Under this grew a troop of about 200 basidiomes on fallen Buxus leaves in mixed litter. A 30 min search under neighbouring bushes proved unsuccessful. The site
was less than 1 Ian from the original find. Mainly hypophyllous, 1-2 mature basidiomes per leaf, but seemingly uninfected leaves carrying up to 10 initials. The spores, from a print, 10-11 (-12) x 3-4 /Lm, proved more uniform than quoted by Noordeloos, and the cheilocystidia more capitate. A few dermatocystidia were present at stem base as well as cap surface. Following a wet June, more was found under the same bush on 27 July 1991 (hot, dry weather), including some on fairly green leaves still attached to a dying twig. Seekers for this fungus are warned: Noordeloos only found his collection after 17 years searching! To maximise your chances look under native Buxus. None of the British, Dutch or Swiss collections have come from planted bushes. Alick Henrici 57 Clarendon Road, London W11 4JD