Paul Barrow
I’d thought that I would write up on the Grassland Fungi Surveys that I’ve participated in with the West Dorset National Trust Ecology Group. I joined this group so that I could improve my ident skills in a number of areas and as pay back, provide photographs of the flora and fauna that are surveyed. I’ve only started to do this about 3 months ago.
The group is led by John Newbold, a lovely man in his early 80s from Yorkshire but has lived in Dorset for many years. His knowledge is astounding across a wide range, including bats, lichens, flora, fungi and insects.
Over the last few weeks our concentration has been surveying fungi in the CHEGD groups on the Golden Cap Estate to the West of Bridport. These groups are Spindles, Coral and Club fungi (Clavarioids), The Waxcaps (Hygrocybe), Pinkgills (Entoloma), Earthtongues (Geoglossum) and Crazed caps (Dermoloma). We also noted fungi out-side of CHEGD. All the fields are numbered and only the ones that have been surveyed before are being monitored.
CHEGD fungi require unimproved acidic grassland that is periodically grazed to keep the sward short.
These grasslands are not necessarily species rich but they are ideal for CHEGD fungi, especially Waxcaps. Many of the fields on the Golden Cap Estate (owned by the National Trust) are farmed in a way that minimal, if any, fertilisers are added. No crops, to my knowledge are grown on the Estate – the fields are only grazed by sheep and cattle. In late spring to early summer some of the Estate fields are ablaze with orchids and in the late autumn several fields have a good smattering of Autumn Ladies Tresses.
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CHEGD fungi seen so far this year are:- Meadow Coral |
Clavulinopsis corniculata |
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White Spindles |
Clavulinopsis fragilis |
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Smokey Spindles |
Clavulinopsis fumosa |
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Golden Spindles |
Clavulinopsis fusiformis |
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Apricot Club |
Clavulinopsis luteoalba |
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Meadow Waxcap |
Cuphophyllus pratensis |
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Star Pinkgill |
Entoloma conferendum |
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Lilac Pinkgill |
Entoloma porphyrophaeum |
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Slimy Waxcap |
Gliophorus irrigatus |
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Parrot Waxcap |
Gliophorus psittacinus |
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Orange Waxcap |
Hygrocybe aurantiosplendens |
Now for a few photos and an indication of where they were seen and how abundant they were. You be pleased to know that I’m only including a few from each site!!
Down House Farm 2 Nov 21