2004 was a phenomenal year for fungi. In the spring several common morels Morchella vulgaris were found growing on woodchips in the front garden of a house in St Peters Street Lowestoft. St George’s Mushrooms Tricholoma gambosum were found at Herringfleet Hills during April. In July, horse mushrooms Agaricus arvensis were abundant on a field at Blyford near Halesworth along with several parasol mushrooms Lepiota procera. A veritable feast for the ‘food for free’ advocates. In Lowestoft Leucopaxillus (Clitocybe) gigantea was located in Hubbard’s Loke on elm. In August at Carlton Marshes a troop of Russula atropurpurea was found under the oaks there. This was a new site record.
The fungus season proper began in early September and lasted until late November. Workhouse Wood Oulton produced Macrocystidia cucumis and Tricholoma sulphureum. In Gunton Wood Stropharia aurantiaca was present again. This time it was growing on rotting oak trunk; in October over 100 fruiting bodies were recorded from Corton Wood. Both Gunton and Corton Wood produced Mutinus caninus, the dog stinkhorn, both of which are new site records. In December Helvella crispa was found in Gunton Wood. Also in Gunton, on a lawn, the deadly poisonous Clitocybe dealbata masquerading as a late St George’s mushroom was identified.
© 2005 Suffolk Naturalists' Society
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