Category: David

Another fungus which is a common parasite of deciduous trees. This one was growing on a tree on a corner of Church Hill Road, Tettenhall.

The butterfly was looking directly at me as it fed in October.

Another mushroom which is almost hidden even in shortish grass.

Boletes are toadstools which release their spores from the underside of the cap through pores not gills. Brown birch boletes only grow in association with birch trees, and are commonly found by such trees in the autumn.

These were a few of the brown birch boletes growing on Rectory Bank in Wordsley, which is also where I noticed the honey fungus in the previous post.

This mushroom grows in large clumps, often at the base of trees which they are killing. They are very variable in form, and not good to eat – I presume that “honey” refers to their colour rather that their flavour.

The largest mushroom commonly found around here. It can be distinguished from its shaggy cousin by the snakeskin markings on its stem.

Said to be good to eat (though I have never tried one). Anyone who does fancy giving it a try should make sure they have the right species. Until the cap has fully opened into the parasol form, there are several seriously poisonous species it could be confused with. Once it is full grown the most likely confusion is with the shaggy parasol – this can cause gastric upsets in some people. There is also a very rare tropical variety which is somewhat similar even to the full-sized mushroom.