Monthly Archives: September 2015

25th September 2015, Oldbury Hill, Borough Green

So, I have a plan. Identify the ancient woods of Kent and comb them for interesting mushrooms. Starting with any that are easy to reach by train and bicycle from Catford. Oldbury Hill sounded interesting (according to the National Trust): An Iron Age hill fort, with ancient woodland, scrub and relic heathland supporting oak, birch and Scots pine with a variety of fungi and plants from the former heathland, including heather and bilberry. And it’s close to Kemsing and/or Borough Green station.

First impressions were modest – a typical Kentish wood with mainly oak and beech trees. As I wandered through the trees the fungal life seemed fairly abundant but not very diverse…, a lot of Orange Milkcaps and Deceivers. But actually by the end of my foray I’d found 9 species that were new to me; Orange Milkcap, Porcelain Fungus, Inkstain Bolete, Beech Jellydisc, Dog Stinkhorn, Agaricus cupreobrunneus, Copper Spike, Beechwood Sickener, Spotted Toughshank. Most of these are quite common but that just demonstrates the incredible multitude of mushroom species or perhaps it is the ancient woodlands that each have their own wide selection of endemic fungi.

I did get lost once or twice, went round in circles, and finally popped out of the wood in the wrong place, so had to walk around the edge to get back on course. I thought my sense of direction was pretty reliable so had never considered getting a compass before, but perhaps that would be a useful addition to my foray equipment.

Porcelain Fungus is a shiny and pretty thing – edible apparently if you wash off the slime. Inkstain Bolete is astonishing in its propensity to bruise black. Dog Stinkhorn is something that I’d been looking out for, so glad to find it, but I still haven’t got any pictures of an erect stinkhorn of any species. Copper Spike is another where the book picture was already lodged in my mind in anticipation of its discovery. Beechwood Sickener is one of those classic little red Russulas that for me evoke an image of a craggy, mossy Nordic forest inhabited by goblins and trolls.


1. Orange Milkcap (Lactarius aurantiacus).
Growing in leaf litter under oak. Scattered around and abundant throughout the wood. Cap 4-6cm. Smell slightly fruity. Milk moderately hot. Phillips say the milk is mild but my identification is fairly certain. I only tried the milk once, and milkcap milk can be quite variable in my experience. ID is almost sure. Sporeprint Cream. Spores 7-8.5µ x 5.5-7.5µ.

2. Unidentified.
Growing in in leaf litter under oak and beech. One. cap 9cm, 11cm high. No smell. Could be a Common Cavalier but doesn't look quite right. Sporeprint white. Spores 5.5-8µ x 4.5-6.5µ.

3. Russet Toughshank (Collybia dryophila).
Growing in in leaf litter under oak. Two. cap 2-4cm, stem 4cm. No smell. Surprisingly thin stem. ID is almost sure. Sporeprint white. Spores 4-6µ x 3-3.5µ.

4. Shaggy Parasol (Macrolepiota rhacodes).
Growing in leaf litter under oak. Lots scattered around. Cap 10-13cm, up to 20cm high. Smell earthy and mushroomy. These surely must be Shaggy Parasols, despite the great height of some, because the spores are too small for any other type of parasol. ID is fairly likely. Spores 7.5-10.5µ x 4.5-6µ.

5. Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata).
Growing on logs. Hundreds growing in clusters. Cap up to 5cm. No smell. Sporeprint white. Spores 6.5-9µ x 4.5-7µ.

6. Common Cavalier (Melanoleuca polioleuca).
Growing in leaf litter under deciduous trees. Three. Cap up to 13cm. No smell.

7. Porcelain Fungus (Oudemansiella mucida).
Growing on log. A few clusters. Cap 4-6cm. No smell. Very wet and slimy. Glad to find this common mushroom at last! Sporeprint white. Spores 11-13µ x 9.5-12µ.

8. Inkstain Bolete (Boletus pulverulentus).
Growing in earth beside fallen still living beech. Two. Cap 6-10cm. No smell. Bruising black/blue very quickly with the slightest touch. This could be another type of Bolete (such as Deceiving Bolete) but the black bruising and spore size makes Inkstain Bolete most likely. ID is very likely. Sporeprint dark grey/brown, not enough to be sure. Spores 8.5-12µ x 4-5.5µ.

9. Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae).
Growing on ash (?) log. Two clusters. Cluster 10cm across, single ear about 7cm across. Smell mushroomy and perhaps a bit sweet. Floppy. 22The spores are interesting - great big sausage shaped things. Sporeprint 8. Spores 16-22µ x 8-12µ. 22

10. False Deathcap (Amanita citrina).
Growing in leaf litter near beech. A few scattered singly through the wood. Cap 7cm. Smell somewhat of raw vegetable. This is the white variant of the False Deathcap. Sporeprint white. Spores 6.5-9.5µ x 5.5-8µ.

11. Beech Jellydisc (Neobulgaria pura).
Growing on dead wood. A few clustered lumps/cups. Big lump 3cm, small lump 3mm. Spores 6.5-8µ x 3.5-4.5µ.

12. Dog Stinkhorn (Mutinus caninus).
Growing in leaf litter. A few scattered in a small area. Egg 2cm diameter, old fallen horn 8cm long. No smell. One old and fallen, three eggs and one just about to sprout. A shame that I didn't find any standing in their phallic glory.

13. Unidentified.
Growing in leaf litter near beech. Troop of about a dozen. Cap 5-9cm. No smell. Sporeprint brown with a hint of pink. Spores 7.5-9.5µ x 5-7µ.

14. Unidentified.
Growing in marshy ground near deciduous trees and near old stump. Several clumps and scattered. Cap up to 7cm. No smell. Could be Cortinarius brunneus, but probably not as that is darker brown and less striate. Sporeprint brownish, not enough to be sure. Spores 6-8.5µ x 4-5.5µ.

15. Unidentified.
Growing in marshy ground at the base of decidous tree. Many trooping and clustered. Cap up to 7cm, stem up to 10cm. Mushroomy smell. Sporeprint Pale amber brown. Spores 6.5-8.5µ x 4-6µ.

16. Unidentified.
Growing on a steep earth bank. One. Cap 8cm. This is some poor boletus that has been attacked by mould. If the bent-over stem were straight it would be the tallest boletus I've ever found.

17. Agaricus cupreobrunneus.
Growing in rich earth between woods and road. Two. Cap 7-8cm. Smell a bit mushroomy, perhaps a bit unpleasant. Gills quite reddish. Curious how the veil remnants have persisted around the edges of the cap, but this is not a characteristic of any Agaricus as far as I know. ID is fairly likely. Sporeprint brown, but not enough to be more specific. Spores 6.5-8µ x 5-6.5µ.

18. Copper Spike (Chroogomphus rutilus).
Growing under pine. One. Cap 4.5cm, stem 9cm (but deeply embedded in earth). No smell. Sporeprint greenish black!. Spores 15-19µ x 5-7.5µ.

19. Beechwood Sickener (Russula nobilis).
Growing in leaf litter. Several scattered. Cap 2-5cm. No smell. Taste very hot. Could be another type of russula, but spore size, habitat and hot taste point to this one. ID is very likely. Sporeprint white. Spores 5.5-8µ x 5-6.5µ.

20. Clustered Toughshank (Collybia confluens).
Growing under pine. Big clusters. Cap up to 10cm. Smell slight and indefinite. Sporeprint white. Spores 5-6µ x 4-5.5µ.

18th September 2015, Knole Park, Sevenoaks

Knole Park is wonderful for mushrooms, as you would expect for ancient parkland with trees and deer. Last year the Waxcaps were striking in their colours and variety, but on this visit there were few and I wasn’t particularly searching them out. So…, I didn’t find anything stunning on this visit, but I did turn up several species that I’ve not recorded before: Suede Bolete, Stinking Dapperling, Russula graveolens, Amanita franchetii, Willow Shield, White Coral, Hebeloma laterinum, Agaricus porphyrocephalus, Oldrose Bolete. (Some of these are very tentatively identified.)

I like finding Boletuses (Suede Bolete) , especially the pink or red ones that turn blue when bruised or cut (Oldrose Bolete). Amanitas are exciting due to the frisson of deadlyness (for some) and they’re often large and colourful. I’ve not found a brown Amanita before (Amanita franchetii – “said to be edible”) but Roger Phillips says they’re rare so I’m not certain about my identification. It’s the fourth occasion that I’ve found a Deathcap but all the others were in Farningham wood, and this is the first that I’ve found growing under Beech – the others were under oak and hornbeam. The Parasol at 30cm high was the tallest mushroom that I’ve yet found and would have been even more impressive had it been fully open.


1. Beech Milkcap (Lactarius blennius).
Growing on on earth bank near beech tree. Troop of more than six. Cap 2.5-6.5cm. Smell none, but perhaps slightly mushroomy. Milk nutty at first then after 10 seconds hot and acrid and taste persisting. Sporeprint White, but perhaps very pale cream. Spores 6.5-8µ x 5.5-7µ.

2. The Miller (Clitopilus prunulus).
Growing in grass near various broad leaved trees. Small group, with clusters of two. Cap 4-8cm. Smell faint, perhaps fruit/apple. Very decurrent gills. Smell is not quite right for The Miller, but the other details are largely correct so seems likely. ID is guess. Sporeprint Pink. Spores 8-11.5µ x 3.5-4.5µ.

3. Suede Bolete (Boletus subtomentosus).
Growing in moss beside sweet chestnut sapling near large oak tree. Two. Cap 5-8cm, stem up to 5cm. No smell. Identification is partly based on spores being the right size. ID is very likely. Sporeprint Olivaceous, but not enough to be sure. Spores 8-11.5µ x 4-5µ.

4. Stinking Dapperling (Lepiota cristata).
Growing in earth amongst grass and woody debris. One. cap 2.5cm, stem 4cm. strong musty smell. ID is almost sure. Sporeprint White. Spores 5-6.5µ x 2.5-4µ.

5. Unidentified.
Growing in mud amongst grass. One. Cap 3.5cm, stem 4cm. No smell. Sporeprint Brownish but not enough to properly determine. Spores 6-8µ x 4-6µ.

6. Purple Russula (Russula atropurpurea).
Growing under sweet chestnut. Three scattered. Cap 3-7cm. No smell. ID is very likely. Sporeprint Very pale cream - almost white. Spores 6.5-8µ x 5.5-7.5µ.

7. Artists Fungus (Ganoderma applanatum).
Growing at the base of a healthy looking oak tree. Two or three. Bracket 24cm across, tubes about 1cm long. Smell mushroomy but somewhat sweet/sickly. ID is best guess. Spores 6.5-8µ x 4-5.5µ.

8. Chicken-of-the-Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus).
Growing on old fallen trunk. A very yellow specimen.

9. Unidentified.
Growing in grass a fair distance away from sweet chestnuts. One. cap 3.5cm, stem 3cm. No smell. Could be a type of waxcap but difficult to tell when there's only one. Spores 5.5-7.5µ x 5-6.5µ.

10. Unidentified.
Growing in grass. Several scattered in patch of ground about 2m across. Cap 1-1.5cm, stem 3cm. Faint mushroom smell. Could be a type of waxcap but cannot find one that fits. Sporeprint White. Spores 6.5-8.5µ x 5.5-8µ.

11. Unidentified.
Growing amongst beech masts under beech tree. Two. Cap 3-4cm, stem 5cm. Unpleasant smell, perhaps of paint/chemical. Probably a type of fibrecap, as some of those smell of bleach, but fibrillous cap with smooth stem is an unusual combination. Sporeprint brownish. not enough to be sure. Spores 5.5-8µ x 5-7µ.

12. Unidentified.
Growing amongst beech masts under beech tree. Several scattered around. Cap 1.5-2cm, stem 2-3cm. No smell. Prominent umbo, tough stem. Sporeprint brownish, not enough to be sure. Spores 7-8.5µ x 4.5-6µ.

13. Russula graveolens.
Growing under oak. Several scattered around. Cap 4-6cm, short stem around 2cm. No smell. ID is fairly likely. Spores 7-8µ x 6.5-7µ.

14. Amanita franchetii.
Growing in grass in clearing between oak trees. Two. Cap 6.5-8cm, stem 7-8cm. No smell. Bulb at base of stem. Id is somewhat uncertain since A. franchetti is rare and it could be a Blusher, although it doesn't look like one. ID is fairly likely. Sporeprint white. Spores 7-8.5µ x 4.5-6µ.

15. Golden Spindles (Clavulinopsis fusiformis).
Scattered through grass. Several small clusters. Look young and not fully developed compared to the find nearby last year.

16. Willow Shield (Pluteus salicinus).
Growing on rotting trunk, perhaps of sweet chestnut. One. Cap 4cm. No smell. ID is almost sure. Sporeprint pinkish beige. Spores 6.5-8µ x 5-7µ.

17. Deathcap (Amanita phalloides).
Growing under beech. Two - one tiny and one larger. Larger one: cap 4cm across, 6cm high. Tiny one: cap 1.5cm. Smell mushroomy. Immature specimens. Sporeprint white. Spores 7-8.5µ x 6-7.5µ.

18. White Coral (Clavulina cinerea).
Growing in moss under beech tree. A few small clusters. Branches about 3cm high. Smell earthy. Sporeprint Whitish, not enough to be sure. Spores 7-9µ x 6-7.5µ.

19. Inocybe assimilata.
Growing in grass near sweet chestnut tree. Three. Cap 4-4.5cm fully expanded. No smell. ID is very likely. Sporeprint Greyish leather brown. Spores 7-9.5µ x 5.5-7.5µ.

20. Hebeloma laterinum.
Growing in grass. Three. Cap 5-6cm, stem 6-8cm. Smell faint and mushroomy. Stem quite brittle. Could easily be another type of Hebeloma but H. laterinum is most likely as the others generally smell of radishes. ID is best guess. Sporeprint dark grey brown. Spores 9-12µ x 5.5-7µ.

21. Agaricus porphyrocephalus.
Growing in grass. Only one but another found 500 metres away. Cap 6.5cm. Smell slight and mushroomy. Very brittle stem. Could be another type of Agaricus (Field Mushroom or A. bresadolanus) but spore size is right for it to be A. porphyrocephalus. ID is guess. Sporeprint Dark brown. Spores 5-6.5µ x 3.5-4.5µ.

22. Charcoal Burner (Russula cyanoxantha).
Growing under beech. Two. Cap 9-10cm. No smell. ID is very likely. Sporeprint white. Spores 6.5-9.5µ x 5.5-7.5µ.

23. Oldrose Bolete (Boletus rhodopurpureus).
Growing near oak tree. One. Cap 4.5cm. Perhaps faintly mushroomy. Looks like an immature specimen. Very fat stem. Difficult to identify with just one. Alternatively could be a Scarletina Bolete as I've found those in Knole before. ID is fairly likely.

24. Parasol (Macrolepiota procera).
Growing close to oak tree. A few scattered around. Cap 12cm (not fully open), 30cm total height. The tallest Parasol that I've ever found. Sporeprint white. Spores 12-13.5µ x 8-10.5µ.

6th September 2015, Ladywell Fields

Ladywell Fields is full of Fairy Ring Mushrooms, everywhere! But I didn’t take any photos as I already have lots. There are a few striking rings where they’ve totally killed the grass and I plan to go out soon with a stepladder for some aerial pictures.

Anyway, the season has started and I found quite a few mushrooms. Nothing very exciting. Several that I’ve found before plus a few little brown ones – always hard to identify. Three new species (assuming my identification is correct, which is far from certain with these): Parasola leiocephala which is delicate and pretty, Coprinopsis jonesii (?) growing on the wrong habitat, and Inocybe assimilate. These Inocybe/Fibrecaps are quite attractive but hard to identify as there’s lots of different species and I don’t see them very often.


1. Parasola leiocephala.
Growing in earth amongst grass near oak tree. Two. Cap 1-2cm, stem 4cm. There's several similar species but spore shape and size seems to say this is P.leiocephala. It grows on buried wood debris which I didn't notice but could easily have been there. ID is best guess. Spores 8-9.5µ x 8-9.5µ.

2. Red Cracking Bolete (Boletus chrysenteron).
Growing in earth under poplar tree. Two old and one young. Cap 6-13cm. Smell mushroomy. ID is almost sure. Sporeprint greyish brown. Spores 9.5-13µ x 4.5-5.5µ.

3. Chicken-of-the-Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus).
Growing at the base of a healthy Horse Chestnut. One cluster tiny and young, one old. Young cluster 7cm across. Nice to see young and old together as books generally only ever show the young yellow lumpy ones. Spores 4.5-5.5µ x 3.5-4.5µ.

4. Bonfire Inkcap (Coprinus jonesii).
Growing in grass near old ash stump. Three scattered. Cap 3.5 across and 3.5cm high, stem 5-8cm. Slight mushroomy smell. Usual habitat should be burnt or charred wood/soil not just soil or buried wood, but spore size means C.jonesii is most likely. ID is guess. Sporeprint black. Spores 5.5-7.5µ x 5-6µ.

5. Unidentified.
Growing in long grass near oak tree. Group of four. Cap 2.5-3cm, stem 5-6cm. No smell, but perhaps slightly fruity. Honey coloured. Really don't know what this is. Feels like a Mycena and the spores are right for that but there aren't any that fit. Sporeprint white. Spores 4.5-6µ x 3-4.5µ.

6. Psathyrella lutensis.
Growing in grass near oak tree. Group of three. Cap 1.5-2cm. No discernable smell but not enough to be sure. Very brittle stem. Could be another type of Brittlestem but this is the most likely. ID is best guess. Sporeprint blackish but not enough to be sure. Spores 7.5-9.5µ x 5.5-7µ.

7. Inocybe assimilata.
Growing in grass near oak tree. One. Cap 2.5cm. No smell. Could easily be another type of fibrecap but this looks to be the closest fit. ID is possible. Sporeprint darkish - not enough to fully determine. Spores 6-7µ x 4.5-6.5µ.

8. Brown Rollrim (Paxillus involutus).
Growing near oak tree. Troop of more than a dozen. I see these quite often in the park but this collection was exceptional in its quantity. Apparently very poisonous!

9. Matt Bolete (Xerocomus pruinatus).
Growing amongst moss and grass near site of buried stump, about 15 yards from the nearest tree. One. Cap 3cm. No smell. Very yellow tubes. Flesh turning strongly blue when bruised. Poor collection of spores so measurements could be inaccurate. Dubious collection of spores that aren't the right size, but the mushroom does look like Matt Bolete. ID is wild guess. Sporeprint darkish - not enough to fully determine. Spores 6-8µ x 4.5-6µ. Poor collection of spores so measurements could be inaccurate.