Monthly Archives: October 2014

25th October 2014, My Garden in Catford

Two nice finds in the garden.

One is a beautiful Parasola auricoma – there are several similar mushroom species but I think the smooth elliptical spore appearance settles it.

The other is sited beside a very similar mushroom from October and I think it must be the same species since the spores are the same, although the colour and smell are slightly different. This one is brown instead of orange, and smells strongly mushroomy  instead of strongly fruity/mushroomy. I think it must be a Dapperling, but which one? I’ve spent hours pondering this – it’s in my garden so I have to pin it down! Closest are Lepiota subgracilis (but habitat not exactly right and spore shape wrong), Lepiota oreadiformis (but not quite fitting the book description in habitat and smell, and spore size too small) or Lepiota cristata / Stinking Dapperling (but not fitting at all in spore size).


1. Parasola auricoma.
Growing on earth near untreated oak sleepers. Several in a cluster. cap 2-3cm. Height up to 10cm. ID is almost sure. Spores 10-10.5µ x 7-8µ.

2. Lepiota subgracilis.
On earth under blackberry and raspberry. Several clusters and others dotted around. Very strong mushroom smell. ID is guess. Sporeprint white. Spores 7.5-10µ x 3-5µ.

23rd October 2014, Ladywell Fields

Just a quick trot around the park to see what’s there and found a few things. The most striking was the large troop of Yellow Stainers. I’ve found these in the park before on a different site, so they seem to be very common locally. These ones are very close to a find of Horse Mushrooms from a few weeks ago…, I’ll have to go back and make sure of my identification there.

The White Dapperling is interesting. I’m not certain that my identification is correct but it’s the closest match I can find. It doesn’t look much like a Dapperling since they usually have a very distinctive scaly cap but this species is an exception.


1. White Dapperling (Leucoagaricus leucothites).
Growing in grass near small tree. One. Cap 5cm, height 8cm. Faint mushroom smell. Totally white. ID is best guess. Sporeprint white. Spores 5.5-8µ x 4.5-6µ.

2. Clustered Brittlestem (Psathyrella multipedata).
Growing in grass. Huge dense clusters. Cap 2-4cm. Clusters up to 30cm across. Faint fungusy smell.

3. Drab Bonnet (Mycena aetites).
Growing in short grass. Many scattered around. Cap 0.3-1cm. Height up to 4cm. Smell a bit earthy/musty? ID is almost sure. Spores 6.5-8.5µ x 5-6µ.

4. Yellow Stainer (Agaricus xanthodermus).
Growing in grass. Several troops. Cap up to 4cm but looks immature. Unpleasant smell. Flesh bruising yellow especially at cap edges. Lots of small flies were attracted. Sporeprint dark brown. Spores 4-5.5µ x 3-5µ.

17th October 2014, Shipbourne Forest near Borough Green

This is a large forest  of about 10 square kilometres with different names for different parts:  Shipbourne Forest, Hurst Wood, Mereworth Woods, Leybourne Wood, and others. I’ve decided to call it Shipbourne Forest because ‘forest’ sounds more primordial. But I’m not sure whether much or any of it is ancient. There was a lot of sweet chestnut coppices – rather boring from a mycological point of view.

I last came to the forest over 20 years ago, partly because it looked promising for mushrooms and partly as an excuse to drop in on a girl I knew who lived in Plaxtol. I have no records but recall finding plenty of False Deathcaps. And indeed I found another this day.

Overall a bit disappointing, wandering through the woods with hardly anything to find. But still some species that I haven’t seen before, and a few puzzles to ponder: Some samples of The Miller (I think), a waxcap that doesn’t seem to fit, very large clumps of Clustered Brittlestem, and others.


1. Bulbous Bonnet (Mycena stylobates).
Growing on twigs. Many on each twig. Cap up to 1cm. No smell. ID is fairly likely. Sporeprint white. Spores 7.5-11.5µ x 3-4.5µ.

2. Type of Boletus.
Growing under birch. One. Cap 10cm. Slimy cap. On cutting, tubes and cap above tubes turning green/blue. Thought this was a Slippery Jack but that doesn't seem to fit.

3. Bitter Bracket (Postia stiptica).
Growing on pine log. Lots of brackets scattered over several logs. Up to 8cm across. Bottom half made of tubes up to 1cm long. Next time I'll taste this to check if it's very bitter, as reported. ID is fairly likely.

4. Oak Mazegill (Daedalea quercina).
Growing on log, possibly sweet chestnut. Several. 5-20cm across. Strong sweet mushroomy smell.

5. Clustered Brittlestem (Psathyrella multipedata).
Growing in grass moderately near to various trees. Several huge clusters. Cap 1-4cm. No smell. Young ones tan, then darkening and to grey. Sporeprint dark umber. Spores 6-7.5µ x 3-5.5µ.

6. Common Cavalier (Melanoleuca polioleuca).
Growing on rotted leafmould. Three. Cap 5-7cm. Little smell. ID is fairly likely. Sporeprint white. Spores 6.5-8µ x 4-6.5µ.

7. The Miller (Clitopilus prunulus).
Growing on rotted leafmould. Several scattered around. Cap 2-5cm. Mealy smell I think. Habitat isn't quite right for The Miller, but it fits in every other respect. Unfortunately forgot to get a specimen, so no spore picture. ID is very likely.

8. Lilac Bonnet (Mycena pura).
Growing on rotted leafmould. Three. Cap 5cm. Faint unpleasant smell, radish perhaps. I see this mushroom a lot and decided a while back that it's Lilac Bonnet, but perhaps it's Rosy Bonnet? ID is fairly likely. Sporeprint white. Spores 6.5-8µ x 4.5-5.5µ.

9. Cep (Boletus edulis).
Growing next to a tiny alder in pine and sweet chestnut wood. One. Cap 7cm across, 12cm high. No smell. Covered with slugs - I had to pick off half-a-dozen. Very few spores were obtained so the spores data might be from contamination. Spores 8-8.5µ x 4.5-5µ.

10. Lilac Bonnet (Mycena pura).
Growing in grass under oak. One. Cap 5cm across. 10cm high. Faint unpleasant smell, radish perhaps. ID is almost sure. Sporeprint white. Spores 6.5-8µ x 4-5.5µ.

11. Unidentified.
Growing in grass under oak. A few. Cap 1.5-3cm. No smell. Tough stem. Very small spores. Sporeprint white. Spores 4-5.5µ x 2.5-3.5µ.

12. Type of Waxcap.
Growing in grass under oak. Several. Cap 3-4cm of mature specimens. No smell. Tough stem, much thicker at top, hairy at bottom. This really does look like a waxcap but I can't pin it to any particular species. Small and large specimens must be the same species as they have identical spores. Spores are a bit curious - round and warty. Sporeprint white. Spores 7-9µ x 6-8µ.

13. Tripe Fungus (Auricularia mesenterica).
Spread all over large log. No smell. Spongy/fleshy feel.

14. Unidentified.
Spread all over standing dead pine. Up to 6cm across, 3cm deep. Thin and leathery.

15. False Deathcap (Amanita citrina).
Growing under oak. One. Cap 4.5cm. Smell of raw potato although not very strong. Sporeprint white. Spores 6.5-7.5µ x 6-7.5µ.

16. Type of Russula.
Growing under oak. One. Cap 3.5cm. No smell. Very mild taste. Cap 2/3 peeling. Sporeprint white. Spores 5.5-8µ x 4.5-6.5µ.

10th October 2014, Farningham Wood near Swanley

The drought is over but the famine continues… I was hoping that the recent rain would have encouraged the fungus to fruit, but on this evidence – no! There was almost nothing to find in Farningham Wood and it’s usual very prolific. I was reduced to taking pictures of a few pretty looking brackets and mazegills when normally I wouldn’t bother.


1. Russet Toughshank (Collybia dryophila).
Growing in leaf litter from oak, birch, sweet chestnut. A few scattered. Cap 3-4cm. Slight mushroom smell. ID is very likely. Spores 5-7µ x 2.5-4.5µ.

2. Type of Mycena.
Growing in leaf litter from oak, birch, sweet chestnut. One. Cap 0.5cm. Stem 3cm. Pale grey/brown colour. Photo giving white appearance is misleading.

3. Snapping Bonnet (Mycena vitilis).
Growing in leaf litter from oak, birch, sweet chestnut. Two. Cap 1.5cm. Stem 5cm. No smell. Sporeprint whitish but not enough to be specific. Spores 9-11µ x 5-7µ.

4. Sulphur Knight (Tricholoma sulphureum).
Growing in leaf litter from oak, birch, sweet chestnut. One. Cap 1cm but very immature. Smell strongly of emulsion paint. Officially the smell is 'coal tar'. Pale yellow colour throughout. ID is almost sure.

5. Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus).
Growing from dead old standing tree. Several. 35cm across. This is the biggest Birch Polypore I've ever seen.

6. Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor).
Growing on birch log. Many small brackets clustered together. 2-5cm across. Slight sweet fungusy smell. Turkeytail is normally zoned, but it can be very variable. ID is best guess.

7. Small Stagshorn (Calocera cornea).
Growing on oak log. Many scattered. 2-3mm high. ID is almost sure.

8. Oak Mazegill (Daedalea quercina).
Growing on oak log. 6-15 cm across. Fungusy smell.

9. Unidentified.
Growing on stump. Fungusy smell.

10. Frothy Porecrust (Oxyporus latemarginatus).
Growing on stump. One. 8cm across. No smell but sodden wet due to rain. Large heavy mass with no structure, spines, or pores etc. Firm and solid but not tough. ID is guess.

11. Unidentified.
Growing on stump. One large and a cluster of very small immature. Large specimen: Cap 2cm. Stem 8cm. The single specimen could be the same species as the cluster but might not be. Sporeprint white.