Category: David

Bridgnorth castle ruins towering above one of the magpie inkcaps, which was surrounded by fallen oak leaves and acorns.

Inkcap species, including the magpie inkcap, shed their spores and then their caps disintegrate into a black gooey mass from the rim inwards, a process called deliquescence. About half done for this mushroom.

The goo was sometimes used to make an ink.

Magpie inkcaps, striking black and white mushrooms, are mainly found in southern England, and are not particularly common even there.

Some appear in the autumn in the grounds of Bridgnorth castle. I got quite enthusiastic about taking pictures on visits in mid-November. I don’t know if they are still there – they were showing up to the first week in December last year.

Another, very recently and still only partially emerged, fly agaric mushroom. It was a few yards from the one in the previous post. The red of the cap was more vivid yet.

The fungi in all three posts were growing under silver birches.

A fly agaric mushroom, seen two days earlier than the one in the previous post and before the heavy rain. Most of the white spots are still in place, and the red of the cap is much stronger.

It was growing in Bantock Park.

Fly agaric mushroom after heavy rain. Almost all the white spots on the cap (remnants of the veil) have been washed away, and the bright red colour has been diluted to orange. A snail or slug has been eating the cap.