Autumn fungi flush – suede boletes

Autumn fungi flush - suede boletes

Suede boletes. From a distance, the tops of the caps do actually look rather like they’re suede, especially when the mushrooms are recent. The underside of the caps don’t have gills: boletes release their spores through pores.

These were growing under beech trees at the side of Richmond Road.

Colours of autumn – acer leaves going, going

Colours of autumn - acer leaves going, going

Autumn changes in an acer on a quiet residential street. In mid-October (first picture) most of the leaves had already turned bright red. Ten days later the colours had perhaps got a little deeper, with leaf fall accelerating. Another fortnight left the tree almost bare. The pictures are close-ups of some of those leaves still clinging on.

Autumn fungi flush – orange cups

Autumn fungi flush - orange cups

Fungi growing in short grass under a beech by Richmond Road. From their shape and size, they looked like cup fungi. But the colour was unexpected. Many cup fungi are an inconspicuous fawn. One species is bright red: scarlet elf cups. Could these be something rarer?