Tunbridge Wells Cemetery

 

The Ugly Milkcap, Lactarius turpis or now Lactarius necator.  As far as I know this is the first time I have seen this, although I remain confused as I was previously connecting this term to Lactarius controversus.

There were a number of now dark brownish to black capped medium to very large milkcaps (to 15 cm or so) on the roots of one of the large Birch trees. The colour when younger should be a sort of olive. Maybe this was the one that Martin picked up? The trees here are certainly worth looking at for notable designation on the ATI. 

Lactarius turpis has been recorded a number of times on this site since 2005 so it is probably mycorrhizal on a number of the Birches around. Interesting that I only saw it on this one tree though!

The specimen in this photo was showing quite a lot of browning on the gills, so fits that character. The very black of the cap indicates the over-maturity of the fruiting bodies. Stem should be hollow, flesh brittle. I didn't taste much milk - a little old I thought, but it was extremely and persistently burning hot. KOH showed the violet very quickly and pleasingly. Its not what I would describe as Birch in "Wet" Woodland though, as described in UK books/websites, but I was glad to see not in FOTE.

This is the Birch Knight, Tricholoma fulvum. "Knights" are rather like "Shields" in someone's  imagination at least, with a central umbo, a bit rough but sticky when wet and as it ages with radial streaks around the edge. Bright(ish) yellow gills, unusual for a Knight which normally have white gills, with brown mottling on them as the cap ages. Stem yellow with brown fibres. Yellow fibrous stem flesh and gills contrasts with white cap flesh, maybe a floury smell when fresh cut. The species generally seems to like Birches on wet soil.

Following the theme of fungi associated with Birches, here is the Brown Birch Bolete, Leccinum scabrum, which I hope I am getting a bit more familiar with. It is a bit hammered, interestingly.

This is the other Bolete we saw, which MIGHT be the genuine Xerocomellus chrysenteron which is now thought to be mostly found under conifers - here these are found under Cedar and (I think) also Lawson Cypress from the debris. The other species recorded are cisalpinus and porosporus.

Moving on to the clubs and spindles, here is what I think should be the Yellow Club, Clavulinopsis helvola, which is a bit smaller and less clumpy than Golden Spindles, Clavulinopsis fusiformis.  Cylindrical unbranched, slightly clavate. Watch out for Clavulinopsis luteoalbis slightly more orange normally. 

There was a white club, probably Clavaria fragilis, in clumpier groups than some other clubs. There are several other options, less clumpy less trooping, with no clear dividing line between these species, although microscopy can help. Possible slight iodine scent..

So the third was just the one patch on one grave, Smoky Spindles, Clavaria fumosa, quite a bit bigger than the "clubs". This seems to be a reasonably reliable identification, as far as I can tell, with its distinctive colour (this can vary a bit) and concolourous flesh, no odour or taste and browned off tips. It is usually cylindrical and unflattened, unridged.

The cemetery was waxcap heaven.  

This was the first one I thought I understood, the Scarlet Waxcap, Hygrocybe coccinea, with its perhaps slight yellowish edge. It is not as big or chunky as the Crimson Waxcap, Hygrocybe punicea, which we found later, with a red to orange-yellow stem, especially in the lower half. Stem cylindric but often compressed, matt to silky with fragile flesh. Common and widespread.