The Shroom Room

Oftentimes we can get so caught up in looking where we're going, that we forget to look up. I am especially guilty of this, as I'm always on the lookout for fungi, scanning the sides of paths and fallen logs everywhere I go. It's quite easy to forget that trees are very tall, and that fungi can be found at many heights. It's a good job I looked up when I was standing beneath a cluster of Variable Oysterlings , or Crepidotus variabilis. They were growing off a twig on a dead tree. Oysterlings are unlike any other fungi I've seen, as they generally don't have stems and from below look like little circles. From above, they are a kidney shape. They are relatively common and can be found growing in large groups from late summer to winter. Characteristics Habitat:  On dead twigs and other decaying material, including at the base of hedgerows. Cap:  0.5-2cm across, kidney-shaped. White in colour. Stem: No stem. Gills:  Moderately crowded, radiatin...

Rain is usually a consciously-avoided element of mine; however after the dry spell we've been having, I welcomed it with open arms this week, hoping that it might encourage some fungi to emerge. I was not disappointed! In an attempt to expand our mushroom-hunting horizons, Matt and I have been researching new areas to go. On Saturday, we drove to Cwm George and Casehill woods in Dinas Powys for an early March stroll. This wood is over 500 years old and it's beautiful. We had a great time walking around and found loads of different species of fungi. I've chosen today to focus on one in particular: the Velvet Shank , or Flammulina velutipes (the scientific name is fun to say out loud!) These lovely fellas are out from autumn til spring, so I've seen them around quite a lot in the last few months. They like to grow in small groups on dead wood, and most of the ones I've found have been on stumps. They have an orange cap which is often sticky to touch, and the...

Winter is long.  And although spring is beginning to shine through the cracks, it's not exactly the most abundant time of year for mushrooms.  Over the last few months I have ventured into parks and woodland in search for signs of the few species that stick around for the colder weather, and though I have been pleasantly surprised on some occasions, it can feel disappointing to find so little after the autumn when mushrooms pop up everywhere you look. Imagine my surprise then, when I found a small cluster in my own garden! They were peeking out of a garden waste bag filled with soil, leaves and other debris. I was so excited about it that I actually did a little bit of a dance! I'd never seen this mushroom before, so I was anxious to get stuck into identifying what it was. I picked one out of the bag to take a closer look and make a spore print. Characteristics Habitat: On soil and debris. Also found in grass. Cap: 1.5cm across, orange, turning...