Fungi Foray May 2015
Our foray held on 23rd May 2015 turned up quite a few new species for us all, even our esteemed leader Faye Vyner managed a new species to her and who knew the area well and where to expect certain species. Whilst many fungal bodies seen were past their prime there were still very many in good condition. The weather was kind to us - cool, damp and no rain on the day. Our party was small (four people) but very interested. I have no photographic record of the attendees, as alas, I had forgotten to bring my camera! We had hardly any leeches, probably thanks to Faye sharing her Bushman’s Repellant, which she says is the best to use against them. Fungal forays are always a very slow walk as they need to be searched hard for – some being so tiny that a casual eye or a fast walk means they are missed.
We started at the Tarra Valley Park and then moved on for a quick look at the Bulga Park.
Some of the species seen were -
Armillaria hinnulea - a white-gilled tree parasite found on living and dead tree trunks, and one of the larger (caps to 90mm across) fungus species we found.
Ascocoryne sarcoides - a pink, gelatinous, disc fungi found on wet wood.
Clavulina coralloides - a bone-coloured coral fungi (so called because it look like little bunches of underwater corals growing from the soil.)
Clavulinopsis sulcata - a red fungi growing from the ground in singular stems that looks like a simple coral.
Clavulina coralloides – another Coral fungi, this one a delicate, lacy white colour.
Coltricia species - a woody pore fungi growing from sub-surface wood like tree roots and has a satiny sheen on its cap from radial surface hairs.
Hygrocybe astatogala (or conica) - a small deep red fungus -when we saw it (though it can range in colour from white through yellow, orange and red to almost black) and growing in mosses.
Hypoxylon species - a crust fungus growing on the cut ends of trees or logs. No gills.
Lycoperdon perlatum - a puffball usually growing in small clusters, and covered in soft spines when young but these drop off as it ages.
Mycena cystidiosa – an easy to spot white-ish species as it is probably the tallest Mycena and has its rhizomorphs (roots) growing above ground and they are everywhere where this species grows.
Mycena subgalericulata - white-ish to light brown gilled, conical to rounded caps growing on dead wood and the fibrous bark of living trees.
Mycena toyerlaricola, Red Bleeder - a red but almost translucent-capped species, one of the very numerous Mycena family and which bleeds red ‘blood’ when cut or broken.
Mycena vinacea – a brown edged white, convex-capped species, becoming flattened before finally turning up at the edges. It smells like radishes.
Plectania campylospora - a dark brown, cup-shaped fungus without gills growing on decaying wood.
Polyporus melanopus - a tough, leathery polypore that starts life with a light white to brown cap and goes through blood red to black. Polypores have pores not gills.
Pseudohydnum gelatinosum - the fruit-bodies of this bracket jelly fungus grow in tiers on wood and have teeth underneath rather than gills.
Quadrispora oblongispora - possibly - the Truffle or Earthball, growing underground but often found above ground, lying on the soil surface. These looked like tiny, fallen orange fruits on the forest floor.
Stereum ostrea - one of the prettiest bracket fungi’s around. Most people would be familiar with their bright gold colour lightening the dark bush, if not with their name.
Torrendiella eucalypti - a tiny disc fungus with minute hairs around its fringe and mostly found growing on Blackwood wattle leaves.
Vibrissea dura - a small, uncommon fungus, sometimes called Jelly Babies. They do look good enough to eat!
There were many photographs taken on this day and these are included in the Fungi section of our website!
We started at the Tarra Valley Park and then moved on for a quick look at the Bulga Park.
Some of the species seen were -
Armillaria hinnulea - a white-gilled tree parasite found on living and dead tree trunks, and one of the larger (caps to 90mm across) fungus species we found.
Ascocoryne sarcoides - a pink, gelatinous, disc fungi found on wet wood.
Clavulina coralloides - a bone-coloured coral fungi (so called because it look like little bunches of underwater corals growing from the soil.)
Clavulinopsis sulcata - a red fungi growing from the ground in singular stems that looks like a simple coral.
Clavulina coralloides – another Coral fungi, this one a delicate, lacy white colour.
Coltricia species - a woody pore fungi growing from sub-surface wood like tree roots and has a satiny sheen on its cap from radial surface hairs.
Hygrocybe astatogala (or conica) - a small deep red fungus -when we saw it (though it can range in colour from white through yellow, orange and red to almost black) and growing in mosses.
Hypoxylon species - a crust fungus growing on the cut ends of trees or logs. No gills.
Lycoperdon perlatum - a puffball usually growing in small clusters, and covered in soft spines when young but these drop off as it ages.
Mycena cystidiosa – an easy to spot white-ish species as it is probably the tallest Mycena and has its rhizomorphs (roots) growing above ground and they are everywhere where this species grows.
Mycena subgalericulata - white-ish to light brown gilled, conical to rounded caps growing on dead wood and the fibrous bark of living trees.
Mycena toyerlaricola, Red Bleeder - a red but almost translucent-capped species, one of the very numerous Mycena family and which bleeds red ‘blood’ when cut or broken.
Mycena vinacea – a brown edged white, convex-capped species, becoming flattened before finally turning up at the edges. It smells like radishes.
Plectania campylospora - a dark brown, cup-shaped fungus without gills growing on decaying wood.
Polyporus melanopus - a tough, leathery polypore that starts life with a light white to brown cap and goes through blood red to black. Polypores have pores not gills.
Pseudohydnum gelatinosum - the fruit-bodies of this bracket jelly fungus grow in tiers on wood and have teeth underneath rather than gills.
Quadrispora oblongispora - possibly - the Truffle or Earthball, growing underground but often found above ground, lying on the soil surface. These looked like tiny, fallen orange fruits on the forest floor.
Stereum ostrea - one of the prettiest bracket fungi’s around. Most people would be familiar with their bright gold colour lightening the dark bush, if not with their name.
Torrendiella eucalypti - a tiny disc fungus with minute hairs around its fringe and mostly found growing on Blackwood wattle leaves.
Vibrissea dura - a small, uncommon fungus, sometimes called Jelly Babies. They do look good enough to eat!
There were many photographs taken on this day and these are included in the Fungi section of our website!