8th September 2017, Ladywell Fields

September gives me an itch in my mushroom organ. So I went out to Ladywell Fields to scratch it.

There was nothing. I wandered hither and thither and found none. I know if I’d gone to the best fairy rings marked in the grass there would have been a few sorry looking Champignons there, but didn’t bother. So, discouraged, I tramped towards home. To my astonishment there were ten Silky Rosegills growing on a large log. I didn’t have my camera, but since it was 200 yards from my house that didn’t cause a problem. I took a few pictures and took a few mushrooms home to eat. I have found a Silky Rosegill in Ladywell Fields before, on the other side of the railway, but finding ten was rather a surprise.


1. Silky Rosegill (Volvariella bombycina).
Growing on large rotting log in clusters. Ten. Cap up to 17cm. Stem around 10cm. Weight of the biggest was 295g. I thought a mild pleasant earthy smell but a tiny bit foetid. The book says they smell of beansprouts, which seems about right. Covered in fine fibrils. Gills white then flesh colour. Eaten. Sporeprint Browny pink. Spores 7-8µ x 5-6.5µ.