Fungus Of The Day (One identified fungus only please, with species name in attachment comment and in post)

Sarcoscypha austriaca – Scarlet Elfcup – with orange variant.

I made the annual pilgrimage to check whether the orange variant of Sarcoscypha austriaca had reappeared.

Very pleased to confirm that yes, it is there in good numbers once again.

It also seems to be a very good year for the normal red ones, with many hundreds more fruitbodies being seen all over the entire site than in previous years.

The orange ones however, still only appear at the one very small localised area, (growing on a substrate of a few fallen birch trunks/branches). – These trunks/branches becoming more and more decayed as the years go by.

How many more years the variants will appear, remains to be seen. (They were first seen here in January 2013, and have appeared at that spot every year since – but haven’t been found anywhere else on the site).

To reaffirm: – Microscopy has previously been done several times, over several years, on both red and orange fruitbodies from this exact location, and samples have been sent to Kew, where Dr Paul Cannon confirmed them as variants of S.austriaca.

.

[attachment=0]Sarcoscypha austriaca – Scarlet Elfcup (with Orange Variant).jpg[/attachment]
.

Regards,

Mike.

Coprinopsis stercorea – Dung Inkcap

Found on herbivore dung, 2nd October 2024, Gisburn Forest.

(Largest fruitbody approximately 10mm tall).

Spores: – Ellipsoidal/cylindrical, smooth, 5.6-7.7µm x 3.2-4.2µm; central germ pore. (4-spored basidia).

Cap surface with projecting spine-like tufts of veil, along with distinctive finely echinulate almost spherical veil cells (±80µm diam.) which are connected by thin branching hyphae.

.

[attachment=0]Coprinopsis stercorea – Dung Inkcap.jpg[/attachment]
.

Regards,

Mike

Gomphidius glutinosus – Slimy Spike

Found yesterday below Picea (Spruce), Gisburn Forest.

Spore print dark sepia-brown. Spores subfusiform, smooth, 17-20μm x 5.5-7μm.

.

[attachment=0]Gomphidius glutinosus – Slimy Spike.jpg[/attachment]
.

See also: – https://www.fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?p=15855&hilit=Gomphidius#p15855

Regards,

Mike.

Clavulina rugosa – Wrinkled Club.

Found on 5th October 2024 under Picea (Spruce), Gisburn Forest.

Spore print white. – Spores broadly ellipsoidal to subglobose, smooth, 8.5-13.5µm x 7.8-12µm

A small cluster of fruitbodies spotted amongst a large fruiting spread over an area of approximately 4 metres square.

These showing the more extreme variations that can occur. – From solid amorphous “lump” to finely branched, (somewhat similar to typical “coral” fungi).

.

[attachment=0]Clavulina rugosa – Wrinkled Club.jpg[/attachment]
.

Regards,

Mike.

Geoglossum atropurpureum – Dark Purple Earthtongue

Found 1st November 2024 in nutrient poor regularly mown mossy grass. (Cricket outfield – Private Site).

Asco-spores cylindrical-slightly bent, hyaline, multi-septate, 19-35µm x 4-5.5µm

.

[attachment=0]Geoglossum atropurpureum – Dark Purple Earthtongue.jpg[/attachment]
.

Regards,

Mike