Chalkhill-Fungi

Chalkhill Mushrooms: Shoreham Bank

1 June 2008

After the rain of the last few days, three species of mushroom have appeared, two of them, one a Snowy Ink Cap, Coprinus niveus, (photograph on the left and central above) on the cow pats still remaining two months after the cattle had been removed from the top part of Mill Hill. The mushroom on the far right is probably Stropharia coronilla. This one was discovered on the well trodden (especially by cattle) area immediately to the north-west of the Reservoir with a smaller mushroom of the same species discovered on the Pixie Path.

25 April 2008

This small mushroom was discovered on Mill Hill just above the ridge above the steep lower slopes. I think this was Stropharia coronilla.

28 May 2005
A solitary small mushroom Stropharia coronilla was intact and quite firmly in place amongst the herbs on the lower slopes of Mill Hill.

6 May 2005
There were some more of the small mushrooms (illustrated on the right) on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, that I still have not been able to identify. These two were next to the path. They appear to be very new.
Previous Report of what appear to be the same species
The suggestion of the genus Stropharia probably the species coronilla is likely despite the lack of a stem ring.

20 October 2004
In the misty gloom of an overcast day at almost dusk, there was an unfamilar white mushroom which had been broken off its stem and lay loose on the long grass on the southern part of Mill Hill.

It was about the average size of a flat commercial mushroom, estimated at 65 mm cap diameter. The gills are more widely spaced than other white mushrooms seen on the downs.

On the lower slopes of Mill Hill there were a couple of species of mushrooms, a handful of a white species (now turning slightly brown) and a smaller one with brown gills. Although this one does not show a ring, it is very similar to the white one below, with a stem that is easily broken. (Could this one be Agrocybe praecox or molesta ?)

The smaller brown one had a cap 20 mm across. The spore print for the small brown mushroom was dark brown (my first successful spore print). This species is too small for Agrocybe praecox.
How to take a Spore Print (Link)
Small Brown Mushroom (Images)

11 October 2004
A white mushroom was discovered amongst the Horseshoe Vetch on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. This is the one with a ring.

4 October 2004

The stem is relatively fragile compared to woodland mushrooms, but many of the chalkhill mushrooms seem a bit fragile. This mushroom above may be an Agrocybe and a different species from the one below.

27 September 2004

A mushroom with a small (15 mm cap diameter) orange cap was seen amongst the grass and herbs on the lower slopes of Mill Hill south of the Tor Grass zone. It is illustrated in the three photographs below. It seems favour lightly disturbed ground.

6 August 2004
There was a small mushroom amongst Goosefoot and near the Tor Grass on the lower slopes (illustrated below).

12 July 2004

There was a small (15 mm cap diameter) mushroom (photographed above) in the grass by the path in the dog mess zone on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. The white texture of the stem is slightly distinctive in the first photograph.

The best suggestion was the species Stropharia coronilla.

However, there was also a suggestion of the possibility of the similar species Agrocybe praecox.

Second suggestion by Mark Pike on Fungi of the British Isles (Yahoo Group)

Messages on the British Fungi Group

There is another suggestion that this could be a Wax Cap, Hygrocybe? I am not sure which one though?

My first tentative identification of this species was the Fairy Ring Champignon, Marasmius oreades.

This was rejected when other suggestions were made. These new suggestions cannot be right, so I have included my original guess. I think this is wrong as well!.

Stropharia coronilla was one suggestion. This was accepted by me as correct at first. But I was never really sure about this one (but I did not have any better suggestions!). The other one is Agrocybe praecox. This mushroom does not really match the photographs on the Internet of these mushrooms and specimens discovered lack a ring.

but I did not have any better suggestions!). The other one is Agrocybe praecox. This mushroom does not really match the photographs on the Internet of these mushrooms and specimens discovered lack a ring.