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.