Holiday Photos

[Waxcap]

I’ve just returned from a road trip around the Rockies, Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Most of the journey is at elevations of 6000′ – 11000′ and there are just small patches of snow left as their short spring season gets underway. it’s a good time of year to visit – before the crowds arrive at the beginning of June.

After the snow has melted it can get very dry so there is a bit of a flush of spring-fruiting fungi as the last of the snow disappears. I didn’t intend to do any fungi photos while I was there but I just couldn’t help myself when I saw a some colourful asco’s and an unfamiliar group of mushrooms all within a few feet of each other in the forest of the Grand Teton National Park.

The first two photo’s are what I believe is Caloscypha fulgens, found on Pine debris at high altitudes after the snow melt in the USA but checking the FRDBI I see it has been found on Salix and Betula here in Hampshire, in the UK. The rest – I have done my best to name the others from publications on fungi in the area. It is a little easier with spring fungi, especially those with a specific host or environment (as the options are narrowed somewhat) but I could be completely wrong!

Dave

Caloscypha fulgens

[attachment=5]Teton Fungi-2.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=4]Teton Fungi-3.jpg[/attachment]

Gyromitra ancilis (Syn. Discina perlata)

[attachment=3]Teton Fungi.jpg[/attachment]

Gyromitra gigas

[attachment=2]Teton Fungi-5.jpg[/attachment]

Heterotextus alpinus (Syn. Guepiniopsis alpinus)

[attachment=1]Teton Fungi-8.jpg[/attachment]

Mycena overholtsii

[attachment=0]Teton Fungi-4.jpg[/attachment]

[Waxcap]

…….and a couple of Lachnellulas (best guess at ID based on what’s common locally)

Lachnellula arida

[attachment=2]Teton Fungi-7.jpg[/attachment]

Lachnellula agassizii

[attachment=1]Teton Fungi-6.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=0]Teton Fungi-9.jpg[/attachment]

[Leif]

Hello Dave

Lovely finds and photos. Obviously the first ID is correct. I have found it at 3 locations in Surrey growing on the side of steep humus rich banks, apparently on soil, with oak nearby, hence not agreeing with the descriptions in the literature. I sent specimens to Kew several years ago, but presumably they were thrown away and not recorded, I think they only want county first now and these were county seconds etc.

Leif

[Waxcap]

Thanks Lief,

I saw that the first record of Caloscypha fulgens on the FRDBI was in 1968. I suppose ithe spores could be brought in on the boots of travellers, I assume that I will probably be redistributing the odd spore as I walk in the New Forest wearing the same boots that I wore in the Tetons.

I also saw that Discina perlata is a synonym of Gyromitra ancilis, which has a few records in the UK (mostly Scotland) and that Gyromitra gigas gets a mention on the FRDBI but is now noted as extinct in the UK.

Dave

[roy betts]

I’m just back from holiday – three days in Dorset! It was generally dry although a few fungi showed up at Forde Abbey on the 1st. June.

My first ever record of Leccinum pseudoscabrum (syn. carpini – under Hornbeam appropriately) and a Cortinarius which seems to be C. rigens.

Of note is the earliness of these species: I’ve two records of Leccinum spp. in July and two of Cortinarius spp. in July, but have never found representatives of either of these Genera in June.

[Author]

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