Sunday 8 January 2017

Fungi on Fungi

I spent the afternoon up at Gamlyn, looking for various things, including lichenocolous fungi. I found some of those, but the most exciting find was a really weird looking fungus called Fringed Cup Encoelia fimbriata, which seems to be parasitic of the resupinate fungus Hymenochaetopsis (Formally Hymenochaete) tabacina, which tends to be found occasionally, mainly on dead willow. I found some of the host yesterday, in Cwmbach and after posting it on the Glamorgan Fungus Group Facebook page, I was asked to look out for the Encoelia and also Willow Gloves, another fungus associated with H. tabacina.
Up at Gamlyn, I found a fallen willow, with dead branches, on which were H. tabacina and after a search, I was gob-smacked to see the clusters of fruit-bodies nestling in the moss, on some of the lower branches, with H. tabacina. Brian Douglas is checking, but he thinks there are only seven previous records for Britain.

Hymenochaetopsis tabacina (underside)

H. tabacina (upper side)

Encoelia fimbriata (note H. tabacina, bottom left)

Each cluster is 10mm or less across.

3 comments:

  1. Another great find Mark. Something else to keep an eye open for. You have to wonder what all is out there in the local area that is poorly, or even, never recorded.

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  2. yes mark great find and looks amazing .

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  3. It reminds me of something of something you might find beneath the sea; on a reef perhaps.

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